A DECADE OF LONG GOWNS IN MISS UNIVERSE

By Lavinia Otilla

Spanning 11 years of Miss Universe from 2001 to 2011, we note that 5 winners picked white as their gown while 2 had red, 2 brown, 1 black and 1 in canary yellow.

What is in white that most candidates paraded and sashayed in this color? Most designers use white because it is a neutral color. They can embellish the white cloth with beads, sequences with other colors and thus would create a gown that would be attractive to others. It holds the potential to move toward every other color and because of this; it becomes the center of other colors on stage.


In 2001, Denise Quinones used a white gown in halter style with a skirt that had a slit superimposed at the side but when she walks it opens in the middle for better movement.  She looked ravishing and elegant in this gown. In 2002, Oxana Fedorova was everyone’s choice. She mesmerized everyone with her gown which by anyone’s standard looks like a curtain. But she had it all. She owned the gown. And she was exceptionally resplendent. As one puts Oxana’s performance in the evening gown, “It is not having the best gown nor having the best walk and elegance. It is a Goddess that came out and mesmerized everyone.” 

Miss Universe 2001, Denise Quinoes of Puerto Rico

Dethroned Miss Universe 2002, Oxana Fedorova of Russia

In 2003, Amelia  Vega sashayed on stage using a white gown with chains on the sleeves of the dress. Her haughty demeanor was all over and it made her the girl to beat as she did the ramp with equal poise and confidence. Such stage presence is overpowering that during the preliminaries she is already a force to reckon with. She however counteracted that fiery countenance by a sweet smile that showed her having fun with the competition.

Miss Universe 2003 Amelia Vega of the Dominican Republic

The year 2004 showed how an elegant lady delivered a beautiful performance onstage during the evening gown competition. Jennifer Hawkins wore a fantastic Bora vintage copper gown, and the effect is sensational. The pattern of the fabric is very intricate and the cut is very risque, as the slit is almost placed in the center of the skirt and the neckline plunges all the way down to her navel. She's so overwhelmingly stunning that the acrobat immediately does a spread eagle.

Miss Universe 2004 Jennifer Hawkins of Australia

Natalie Glebova in 2005 glided in her evening gown in front of the Thai audience. She is wearing a white evening gown with a very sexy design. It was a bustier with a slit on the dress that was very high and it allowed her fluidity in movement. The gown fit like no other and she knew how to work it and she owned it.

Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova of Canada

One of the gowns that bedazzled everyone is that of Zuleyka Rivera’s gown in 2006. Someone called it the gown of all gowns. It borders from being a costumey to being glamorous. During the preliminary competition, Zuleyka used a gown in which the bodice was made of chains and the bottom portion made up of satin. But come finals night, the entire gown was made up of chains. Like it or not, it was a work of art that Zuleyka managed to pull it off as an evening gown. After a very lustrous presentation and being crowned Miss Universe Zuleyka, collapsed literally because of the weight of the gown.

Miss Universe 2006 Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico

In 2007, Riyo Mori paraded in a Gucci gown which was really a radical departure from the usual gowns shown during Miss Universe’ competition. It is a kimono-inspired gown which forms part of the Spring/Summer collection of Gucci that year. Riyo’s probable intention is to test the waters of how gowns of these caliber can be accepted in competitions like Miss Universe. Although Riyo was just adequate in her presentation and she did not top the segment, she placed 4th and that was indeed a statement to make.

Miss Universe 2007 Riyo Mori of Japan

No one can forget Dayana Mendoza in 2008 with the yellow gown that really flattered her  physique. The gown was really complemented the bubbly personality of Dayana. The gown was perfect fit and she had a flawless spin on the dress. She was great.

Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela

Stefania Fernandez, Miss Universe 2009 was in red. It was a bouffant gown with all the feather contraptions at the skirt. When Stefania made the twirl, everyone was mesmerized by it. It was simply red that signified joy and celebration. She was big delight to watch as she is the girl that personified elegance.

Miss Universe 2009 Stefania Fernandez of Venezuela

Ximena Navarette is a representation of confidence in her red gown. Miss Universe 2010 opted to have red gown during her competition. Some pageant enthusiasts say that she presented herself in a bit dull and uninspired mode, I say it is not. Ximena is full of grace and demeanor. She was near perfect in her glides and she was simply rapturous in the red gown. Ximena practically radiated in her gown and she spells confidence.

Miss Universe 2010 Ximena Navarette of Mexico

In the recent Miss Universe outing last year, Leila Lopes emerged as the favorite of the audience for the Best in Gown among the finalists. What made this girl topped the list when she almost tripped in long gown? Leila personified a very sweet demeanor. She used a white gown with feathery frills and a long slit at the side for better mobility. Her sweet demeanor spelled the difference for her.

Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes of Angola

There you go.I just included Leila’s gown in the review but it should be the start of the next decade. Since the gown is already part of Miss Universe history, I aptly had its inclusion.

TIMELESS SWIMWEARS

By Lavinia Otilla

The bikini came to be a wardrobe necessity for women in 1946. It was invented by French engineer Louis Reard and was named as such in reference to the explosive effect of the atomic bomb testing in Bikini Atoll in the Marshalls.. It has come to symbolize sexual revolution in the 1960’s and thus has become part of competitions in beauty pageants. This article reviews the swimsuits used in the Miss Universe Beauty pageant from 2001 till 2011.

Miss Universe 2001, Denise Quinones of Puerto Rico
and Miss Universe 2002 (dethroned), Oxana Fedorova of Russia

Miss Universe 2003, Amelia Vega of the Dominican Republic
and Miss Universe 2004, Jennifer Hawkins of Australia

Miss Universe 2005, Natalie Glebova of Canada

From 2001 to 2005, the candidates wore a bikini ensemble, 2 red in color, 2 white in color and 1 in aqua marine base color with floweret design. From the way it looked, the bra portion of the ensemble had an underwire. Some call this a push up bra. These types of bras are very helpful most especially to breasts that tend to sag. The underwire allows the breast to have a rounder look. Even small breasts achieve beneficial looks with this type of bra because it does not only allow a rounder look for the breasts but also it creates a deceiving effect to someone looking at the person wearing it. It makes the breasts larger that it measures. Note the bottoms. They are no frills bottoms and it provides great coverage and it stays put in the hips. The bottoms are cut like the tanga exposing the thighs to show seemingly long legs among the contestants. From 2001 to 2004, I noted that the bottoms are just garterized at the waist area. On the other hand, it seemed that in 2005, the bottom showed that there are ties to hold it firm. On 2004, note that the bra area does not only have an underwire but also an overwire.  An overwire Is used to achieve a much rounder forms for the breasts while covering an ample amount of it.

Miss Universe 2006, Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico
and Miss Universe 2007, Riyo Mori of Japan

Miss Universe 2008, Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela
and Miss Universe 2009, Stefania Fernandez of Venezuela

Miss Universe 2010, Ximena Navarrete of Mexico

Years 2006 to 2010 showed a new wave of swimsuits in Miss Universe. Together with the new swimsuits, the candidates showed gutsy attitude in the ramp.  In this series, 2006 showed brown designed prints, with 2007 showing white and dark brown prints assuming some kind of animal prints. In 2008, yellow was the color of the swimsuit while in 2009, floral prints came back and in 2010, it was a purple colored bikini ensemble with some glittery accessories. In 2006, the swimsuit showed a soft textile that hugged the breast of the candidate. The bottom needed to have ties to keep it from falling. In 2007, the bikini seemed to be skimpier as well as in 2009. The swim wears in 2008 were more like those seen in sports competition. In 2010, we see a spandex type of swimwear.

Miss Universe 2011, Leila Lopes
of Angola

What about 2011? In 2011, the swimwear seemed to have a tribal design. The bikini was so skimpy that it seemed like the bottom is just there to cover the necessary parts. It needed some revisions when most of the candidates complained. The revisions were not enough hence; they needed to put a removable skirt to protect the girls from obnoxious eyes.

It is such a wonder to review previous winners in their swimsuits.   It   is   also  a  revelation   to  note    that   the winning candidates showed great form and countenance during the swimsuit round. While the first part of the 2000’s showed girls to be more docile in the way they traversed the runway, some girls just really outshone the others such as in the case of Oxana Fedorova and Jennifer Hawkins. On other hand, the next half of the decade showed the girls to be in competitive spirits starting from Zuleyka Rivera, followed by Riyo Mori and Dayana Mendoza. During the 2009 and 2010, we saw the muted presentation of Stefania Fernandez and Ximena Navarette. Some pundits say it was such a boring presentation in the swimsuit segment but they did win. It was a muted demeanor but carried with so much class.

What would the next decade be? Would the performance of Leila Lopes be an indication of what is yet to come?

TIMELESS AND QUINTESSENTIAL BEAUTIES

by Raphael Porciuncula

Throughout the years, people try to define what beauty is and up to this present day, there is no consensus among people as to its meaning. Even pageant connoisseurs do not have a standard meaning for beauty as they have different tastes, cultural upbringing and experiences. However, there seem to be an agreement that something beautiful provides perceptual experience of enjoyment, delight and contentment. The results of our survey on Timeless Beauties underscored the saying “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” We sent out more than 20 survey letters and 10 beauty pageant aficionados responded. They came from all walks of life – newsmen, academics, healthcare specialists, entertainment and ordinary folks. They all have something to say about beauty. And by the results of the survey alone, beauty can not be standardized. Beauty in every culture has a different standard and this overwhelming majority can not be achieved, unless probably, the questionnaire will have a preselected list of beauties and respondent will just have to tick his or her choices. In our survey, we wrote our responders to enumerate 5 international beauty queens which they think is timeless from orders 1 to 5 -one being the highest order of their choice. There were 10 respondents and we can see that only 30% of our respondents agree to the number 1 choice. The same is true with the number 2 choice. We have such a varied response that we feel our respondents see beauty in all. What may be beautiful for one may not be for the others.

Our survey results are as follows:

17 POINTS

Stephen Diaz  - 5

Khristianne Luna Bernardo – 5

Jetset Alejandro - 5

William Prendiz Jurado – 2

Oxana Fedorova, dethroned Miss Universe 2002 fills the number 1 position. Oxana despite being dethroned still lingers in everyone’s consciousness among pageant enthusiasts. Who would not forget this blushing lady who captured the hearts of everyone when she set foot in San Juan, Puerto Rico? Everyone was mesmerized by her classic and angelic beauty.  She  was  full   of charms and correspondingly witty. She had the body everyone ogled at and she walked fleetingly onstage. She was everyone’s dream girl.

She however, had a short reign and was replaced by her first runner-up Justine Pasek of Panama. Whatever reason Oxana had or the organizers for her dethronement, Oxana continued to be of interest to everyone’s fancy. Many pageant wannabe’s idolized her. They aped her walk, her gown and monitored her career. She had become the standard of what beauty should be. Some even elevated her to a “goddess” status. She had become a beauty that through the years, in every pageant or beauty discussion, her name is always a topic that cropped up. Oxana later on pursued higher education in a field where men dominates. She however, showed that women can be strong and formidable in the police force and she shine through her endeavors. It is no wonder, she topped Queentessence survey. She is not only timeless but a quintessential beauty.

13 PONTS

Bonner Lasquite – 5

Khristianne Luna Bernardo – 4

Jetset Alejandro – 4

Jennifer Hawkins came in second. Who can not forget this lady who had unassumingly led the Miss Universe candidates in 2004 held in Quito, Ecuador. After being crowned Miss Universe 2004, pageant co-owner described her as the “most beautiful Miss Universe in many many years.” Who would not say that? Everyone sees her as saccharine sweet, loveable, beautiful and chic. If Oxana is said to be enigmatic, Jennifer  is  said  to  be  candid. During her reign, mishaps happened during one of Jennifer’s functions where her skirt was accidentally removed when she stepped on it. It revealed her in G-string to the awe of the people watching her. But instead of losing her star, it added more luster to it and Jennifer was well loved by everyone. She became a popular commercial model and now a businesswoman.

11 POINTS

William Prendiz Jurado = 5

Zarly of Veestarz = 3

Bobby Baradi     = 3

Gemma Cruz is the first Miss International Beauty Queen from the Philippines who garnered the title in the fifth edition of the pageant in 1964. She came in third in our survey. In the fifth edition of pageant, actress Arlene Dahl, a member of the board of judges noted that Gemma had an unmistakable air of class that set her apart from the other. She is very regal and she had an exceptional breeding and bearing that the judges saw. Gemma further endeared herself to everyone when she donated all her cash prize earnings to the Boys and Girls Town, an orphanage in the Philippines. For those who know her well, it was not a surprise for them to hear that Gemma did donate her cash prizes. However, for ordinary Filipinos, Gemma’s feat in the pageant is something they hold up in steam and donating her cash prize to the needy is a great and valued character of a person. When Gemma became the Tourism Secretary during the Estrada administration of the Philippines, every pageant observer still gets awed by the enthralling presence of Gemma. Her formidable height, her resplendent beauty and her presence are enough get star-struck with this beauty queen. This beauty queen really aged gracefully and how exceptional she did.

9 POINTS

Peter Sereno = 5

Giovanni Yazon = 4

Miss Universe 1991 Lupita Jones came in 4th in our survey. In 1991, this beauty showed so much grace and elan as she romped away with the crown against 72 other candidates in Las Vegas, Nevada. She eased through all the rounds by topping all the scores from swimsuit, evening gown and the interview.  It was the first time a Mexican won in the Miss Universe Beauty pageant. A graduate of Business Administration, she founded a company and created Nuestra Belleza Mexico. After 13 years she produced a winner in the person of Priscilla Perales as Miss International 2007 and remarkable the most, she produced another Miss Universe for her country in the same place where she won the title – Ximena Navarrete, Now she's single and has one son with ex-husband Simón Charaf.

8 POINTS

Zarly of Veestarz = 4

Bobby Baradi = 4

Another Miss Universe completed the 5 timeless beauties in our survey, 1973 winner Maria Margarita Moran from the Philippines. She won the title in Athens, Greece among other   candidates. Just like Gemma, Margie came from a pedigreed clan and this clearly showed in her competition during the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant. She won Miss Photogenic during the preliminary judging. During the pageant itself, she became the darling of the crowd because of her regal bearing and class. She was exceptionally graceful, refined and polished.   It   was   no  surprise  for  everyone that she was crowned the winner in that fateful day. Margie soon became a wife to another well-known political person in the Philippines. And as wife of a politician, she started different advocacies such as Mothers for Peace, Friends of Habitat, Foundation for Arts, Culture and Ecology and Save Davao Gulf Ecology. Truly with these advocacies, she is a Quintessential beauty by its meaning.

There is something notable among the choices of our respondents. They did not only select beautiful and lovely women but they chose women who after their reign became successful in their chosen endeavors.

INSIGHTS: BEAUTY FROM WITHIN

By Dominador Agbayani

It is such a surprise to hear a lot candidates during the Question and Answer portion when egged to answer to the question, “what edge do you have over other candidates for you to win this contest?” The candidates often answer, “I have beauty from within” without even trying to expound on their answers.

As one of the greatest philosophers of all time, Confucius has said: “Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.” We have different standards of beauty and it is not only based on physical characteristics and but something insightful and much deeper. In other words, the likeability of a person is shaped by our experiences, perceptions and the dictates of our upbringing. To quote further what Ruffa Gutierrez, Miss Philippines-World 1993 when she was asked how would she tell a girl suffering from low self-esteem to feel good about herself? She answered: "I would tell her to believe in herself because it is not only physical beauty that is important but also inner beauty. Just like what the Little Prince said, 'the essential things are invisible to the naked eye.' Definitely, character and personality are more important than physical beauty."

Miss Philippines World 1993, Ruffa Gutierrez during the final question and answer portion at Miss World 1993.

Definitely, everyone would want to become physically attractive. And definitely, the first basis in getting attracted to someone is through physical attraction. But eventually, in somebody’s search for someone really beautiful, they are gauged on their personality and reactions to certain situations to eventually ferret out the candidates’ beauty from within. Thus in the final analysis, the lady or woman who has the most beautiful face does not end up winning the plum because she was measured less in terms of her beauty from within.

Take for example, the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant, the girls are initially judged according to their beauty and physical attributes. They are measured according to their ability to carry themselves in bikini or in  bathing suits  as well as show elan in their evening gowns. But further, they are trimmed to the semi-finalists in their ability to respond to questions that would bring out how personable they are. They are not really judged based on how intelligent they are but how ready and witty they acquit themselves in bringing out the best in them during the interviews. In the recent Miss World Competition, the candidates participated in different events and they were rated based on their performances in those events. The candidates’ capability to espouse the agenda of the organization had the most bearing on who should win it all. On the other hand the Miss Earth Beauty Pageant is in search of someone who is not only beautiful but someone who can champion the cause of environmental preservation and protection.

Left to right: Miss Universe 1973 from the Philippines, Margarita Moran; Miss Universe 1994 from India, Sushmita Sen and Miss Universe 2002 from Russia, Oxana Fedorova (dethroned).

In the recent years, we notice that pageants go through a cycle. In the past, organizations look for pretty, intelligent and witty women. The 1990’s is the era where distortion of what is beautiful came about. The term “enhanced beauty” came to fore and many nations resorted to advances in cosmetic surgery and dermatology just to achieve the perfect beauty. Venezuela topped the list in creating such beauty and many nations followed suit. But if you notice the recent choices in most international pageants, the fresh, the seemingly untouched and natural beauties are beginning to be noticed again in the international arena. There is not steadfast rule therefore of what perfect beauty should be.

A beauty in one era may not be a beauty in someone else’s time. Beauty contests are still relevant and we cannot avoid it, physical attributes of a participant would still be the primary criterion in choosing the winner. The so-called beauty from within still remains to be the method in segregating the chaff from the grains.