Saturday, May 19, 2012

THE MISS PHILIPPINES-EARTH 2012 LONG GOWN COMPETITION

by Lavinia Otilla


Just recently the candidates to the Miss Philippines-Earth 2012 competed in the long gown competition where it was held at the A and A Hotel at Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The girls paraded in long gowns. Unlike in the National Costume Competition where I talked of diversity and creativity, the girls donned on gowns which seemed to be uninspired. It was then expected that the winners won over the rest as they seem to be the ones that really showed mattered over the others. I think the selection of the second runner-up in the person of Miss Puerto Princesa is a token as it happened in Puerto Princesa soil. Let me therefore divide this review into the following:
THE WELL-DRESSED:



Among my choices of the well dressed, 4 girls are in red. Alaminos donned a halter top dress which had flowing fine string of cloth at the skirt. This allowed her an easy glide. Miss Alaminos was clearly beautiful in her long gown. Calapan City wore a very simple red gown in a bustier. The bodice was decorated with scattered powdery white beads. The skirt was A-cut but cut with a tail to boot to show blowy movements. In ordinary beauty pageants where beauty, grace, body and personality are being judged, Miss Calapan City is a really making a mark. But I am not really hopeful for her as she is in number 36 at the score board at present. 




Miss Indang is another beautiful girl who wore read. Her dress is a spaghetti strap gown with elongated cords in the bodice which on close-up is see-through. It is accentuated with silvery rosettes and ornately designed. It is straight cut gown in the skirt area but with a tail to boot to make it more feminine in appearance and movement. On the other hand, eventual winner of the long gown competition Miss Quezon City also wore a red deep V-shaped plunging gown. The bodice was pleated and to accentuate the gown there is a brooch at the midline. The skirt area was draped and pleated also to add effect. She moved with style and grace. However, I did not like the styling and make-up of Miss Quezon City. Her hair should have done much better. Her make-up should have been much better contoured and the very bright red lipstick is a turn-off.


I grouped Miss Batuan and Pasay City as one group because they were the ones with no common color together. Miss Batuan was in an off-white color , something mocha to me. And it was modified sweetheart sleeve on one side. It was a flowing gown with no embellishment whatsoever except the design. The gown was intended for a girl who will wear it and not the gown wearing the girl. My verdict?  Miss Batuan wore the gown. Now let us look at Miss Pasay City’s gown rendition. It was green in motif and a straight A-cut gown. The hightlight is at the right bosom area where an intricate beadwork of varying shades of green started from the right bust area to the midline.

There were two girls in blazing canary yellow color gowns. Miss Cabugao was in a two-piece gown connected by an 8-shaped material that is adorned with blue beads. The gown seemed appropriate for her as she glided and mesmerized the viewers. On the other hand, Miss San Francisco was also resplendent in bustier gown with a brooch to highlight the waist area. It is a cocktail dress so to speak but it became a gown when layers of chiffon were draped to form the skirt area. The chiffon layering made it softer and dainty to look and thus movement is flowing in her case. 
Three girls paraded in gowns with shades of blue. Miss Calbayog City paraded in a Grecian gown and glided onstage with ease. The gown is a simple draping type with a long-sleeve on the right side. She was simply awesome. Miss Ibaan was also in a Venus cut-blue ensemble with the skirt having a slit on the right side that allows fluidity of movements. The bodice was adorned with beads for added effect. She was also resplendent in that gown. On the other hand, Miss Pagadian City was in another hue of blue. It was a gown with a seemingly fish tail cut. It was adorned with silvery powdered beads. She won first runner-up honors during the competition and I could say nothing less.
THEY SHOULD HAVE USED OTHER GOWNS:
In this heading, I found a copy of the gown used by Zuleyka Rivera in 2006 where she won Miss Universe in Miss Calaca’s gown. The gown however was a poor copy and poor craftsmanship. I have no quarrel of others doing copies of other gowns. But the resulting gown should have shown more creativity and of better craftsmanship so that when compared with the original, the copy would not be thrown into oblivion. On the other hand, Miss Manaoag’s gown is ill-fitting in the bodice and I find her not shining through with the gown. I believe what is wrong is her styling. She is a fashion forward lady and channeling it through a 1980’s look is not fit for this girl. The white color is a no-no for her.

Negros Oriental made a lot of fans when they heard her speak during a TV program at Channel ANC. But to use an ill-fitting gown that had poor design and craftsmanship plus the poor styling on her, I am quite aghast with her prospects to win the contest. Miss San Juan City is another formidable candidate that made me wonder why she chose the gown for the competition. This girl had been in a lot of pageants and she should know what makes her stand out. But nay, she did not and I am frustrated with this stance. The gown is so simple and her styling can never be called styling at all. I even did not recognize her.
The design cut of Miss Marilao’s gown was beautiful including the make. But what are those black things there that accentuate the bodice. They are bulbous and they are not beautiful at all. It distracts the personification the candidate is trying to impart. On the other hand, Miss Tabuk  City’s gown was also over-adorned. It is too cluttered and I am really wondering why these two candidates, San Juan City and Tabuk City  put their guards down when the pageant is already going into the homestretch. Do they think Quezon City’s representative is no competition at all when she had already taken the lead at the score board? 




THE WORST DRESSED:






It is a choice between Miss Ifugao and Miss Libmaman. Their handlers were not even creative enough to search for better gowns to use. The gowns were simply outdated. For Miss Libmaman, there is an attempt to be fashion forward but what with the color? Both girls were also styled 80’s and therefore archaic to my taste. I just hope that when handlers send their candidates for participation in these pageants, they should have conceptualized their best presentations so as to create more interest among pageant fans and reviewers like me. 

Photo Credits:  Miss Philippines-Earth.com

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