Happy Day After Thanksgiving! And Seasons Greetings from PAGEANT DESIGN!

Miss Earth Bahamas Makes Pageant History

Source: Tribune 42

MISS Earth Bahamas Vandia Sands has made pageant history, becoming the first Bahamian to win best national costume at one of the four major world pageants. There are 94 contestants in this year’s Miss Earth pageant, currently being held in the Philippines.

The costume segment is divided into the four continents, with one contestant emerging as the overall winner per continent. The Bahamas falls under The Americas and Miss Sands’ costume was the overall winning costume for the continent. Miss Bahamas Beauty Organisation president Gaynell Rolle said: “This does my heart well. I am so proud of Vandia and especially proud of this accomplishment for local designer Patrice Lockhart, who has sent many of her designs, whether by evening gowns or national costume, to these international pageants. “It’s truly an historic day in the Bahamas on many fronts.

“I am sure Mr Greenslade, president of ICS Bahamas, is equally as proud as he is the official sponsor for her national costume,” Ms Rolle said. “The design was one inspired through innovation by Ms Lockhart. She took one look at Vandia and said ‘Are you flexible? If you are I have the right design in mind’.”

The remaining events in this year’s Miss Earth competition include the swimsuit, talent and evening gown categories. Voting is still open for Miss Photogenic and Best Eco-Video.

Ms Rolle encouraged Bahamians to show their support for Vandia by voting online at www.missearth.tv.

The final is on December 7.

Miss World Pageant Brews Culture Clash Behind the Scenes

Vietnamese beauty criticized for typo on pageant ribbon

source: TUOITRENEWS

Miss Sports Vietnam 2007 Tran Thi Quynh, representative of Vietnam at Mrs. World 2013 held in Guangzhou, China, has been criticized for wearing a ribbon with a typo in her country’s name.

At the final night of the pageant last weekend, Quynh wore a ribbon with the words “Mrs. Vietnem” in the swimsuit and evening gown rounds. After that, photos capturing Quynh with the misspelled ribbon were spread on the Internet, inciting outrage from Vietnamese citizens who expressed shock with Quynh’s carelessness. The error was made worse by the fact that during the finale, Quynh accidentally held a Vietnamese flag upside down. “It’s unacceptable! Can’t she read? That’s embarassing!” readerPhuong stressed.

In response, CIAT, the company that sent Quynh to the contest, explained that the incident is the fault of the pageant’s organizers. According to CIAT, contestants were given two ribbons, one for sideline events and one for the rehearsal and the finale. The ribbon with the typo was given to Quynh just minutes before the rehearsal so she didn’t have time to notice the mistake. Other contestants also wore ribbons with embarassing misspellings, including the women representing Dominica and Ireland.

CIAT’s chairman Kim Hong, also a member of the contest’s jury, informed the public that Mrs. World chairman David Marmel gave his apology to the Vietnamese delegation.

On November 24, the Mrs. World 2013’s organizing board in China sent a letter of apology to the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, saying the misspelling was unexpected and they didn’t mean to insult anyone.

For her part, Tran Thi Quynh also sent a letter of apology to the culture ministry and the public, asking for forgiveness on her mistake. “As a Vietnamese, I admitted that this was because of my carelessness. This is a lesson that will be with me for the rest of my life, a mistake that I will never make again,” Quynh wrote, expressing she was careless due to the dense schedule of the contest.

According to Vu Xuan Thanh, Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the contestant will not go unexamined, as it was she who was ultimately responsible for presenting a positive image of Vietnam to the world. Accidental or intentional, she made a mistake. Nguyen Thanh Nhan, head of the Performing Art Department said that the department will consider the letters of apology from Tran Thi Quynh and Mrs. World 2013’s organizers to make final decision.

This year Mrs. World gathered 30 contestants from all over the globe. Vietnamese representative Tran Thi Quynh finished in the top 6 but didn’t win any prizes.

The American Girl Fashion Show featured on Miami.com | AMERICAN GIRL FASHION SHOW

The hugely popular doll brand to host fashion show soon — here's how you can participate in the actual show!

by Maria Tettamanti

This December, American Girl, the hugely popular doll brand, invites girls and their friends and families to experience the American Girl Fashion Show on Sunday, December 8, 2013 at Shula’s Hotel & Golf Resort in Miami Lakes. This fun, engaging program showcases historical and contemporary fashions for girls and their dolls. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Embrace Girls Foundation’s after-school programs and camps. South Florida girls have until November 20th to sign up and participate as models in the show.

American Girl is known for its flagship line of historical characters, representing pivotal times in America’s past. Each girl modeling in the fashion show has fundraised for the Embrace Girls Foundation and will model her favorite American Girl character. Funds raised will support the Foundation’s after-school programs and events.

The fashion show will celebrate girls of yesterday and today through a colorful mix of historical and contemporary fashion. Guests will enjoy tasty refreshments, enter to win grand door prizes, and will experience how clothing has changed over the years to reflect history, culture, and girls’ individual styles.
Additionally, 12-year-old local singer-songwriter and philanthropist, Savannah Maddison, will give a performance as well as model in the fashion show, which will be emceed by current Miss Florida Teen USA, Natalie Fiallo, and Miss Miami Lakes Teen USA, Jackie Garcia- Casals.

Tickets are $25 for regular admission and $50 for VIP tickets and can be ordered by calling the Embrace Girls Foundation at (305) 779-3780, or emailinginfo@embracegirlpower.org.

Executive Director of the Embrace Girls Foundation Velma R. Lawrence says, "It's going to be a beautiful and entertaining event with holiday decorations as a backdrop, an awesome performance by Savannah Maddison, and an empowering show that every little girls should experience."

Cover designed for the AMERICAN GIRL FASHION SHOW Program Book (South FL edition, produced by the Embrace Foundation) • We offer graphic design solutions for all your pageantry needs! • ALL STATES, ALL AGES, ALL PAGEANT SYSTEMS WELCOME!

Greenwich woman wins Miss Connecticut title

by Eve Sullivan - www.stamfordadvocate.com

STAMFORD ­-- A 25-year-old Greenwich woman took the crown of Miss Connecticut Sunday night at the Marriott Hotel, while the runner-up was a Fairfield woman recently named to the New York Jets cheerleading squad.

As Desiree Perez received the crown from the reigning title holder, Erin Brady, she hinted she wanted to follow in her footsteps. Brady went on to win Miss USA and placed in the top 10 in the Miss Universe pageant Nov. 9 in Russia.

"I'm thinking back-to-back baby Connecticut," Perez said, with a laugh.

Perez wowed the judges in a sparkling gold dress and tugged at their heartstrings with her touching story about suffering from a tumor in her jaw and having to undergo reconstructive surgery to her face. The beauty queen said she has tried to bring inspiration to others through her hardship.

"It was the only thing I could do at the time," she said.

Of the 35 contestants in the pageant, Fairfield County dominated the competition by taking all of the top five spots. Along with Perez, there were women from Fairfield, Redding and Bridgeport. The fifth woman was from New Milford.

The pageant began Saturday, with a total of 65 contestants -- 30 competing for Miss Teen Connecticut and 35 competing for Miss Connecticut. They underwent the swimsuit, interview and evening gown portions, before being pared down to 15 women.

On Sunday, the final 15 contestants marched onto the stage in their evening gowns and were introduced to the crowd. Among the group, five finalists were named and each had to answer a few questions.

As the panel of judges made their decision, Brady took the stage to a round of applause and the announcer said, "She made everyone proud."

The 26-year-old walked the stage for the last time as Miss Connecticut, as a tape of her voice played in the background. She thanked her grandmother, sisters, parents and fiance, saying she can't wait to spend the rest of her life with him.

"So take the reigns and run with it because it is the opportunity of a lifetime," Brady said to the women, as they stood waiting for results.

Fourth runner-up went to Ranya May Rasamny, of Redding, who said she was an English major who wants to inspire people through her writing. Third runner-up went to Jessica Bouwman, of New Milford, who works for Hearst Publications and is also a belly dancer/instructor who finds dance routines for people of all shapes and sizes.

Second runner-up was Tiffany Teixeira, of Bridgeport, a nurse who said she doesn't mind the "blood and guts." She also said she wants to break the stigma attached to coming from the inner-city that "you're from the ghetto and you're going to end up pregnant." 

"I'm street smart, but I'm poised," Teixeira told the crowd.

First runner-up was Nikki Delventhal, of Fairfield, a model and dancer who said having a good body image is important. Wearing a flowing black dress, she told the judges that she's been a competitive cheerleader her whole life and recently won a spot on the New York Jets cheerleading squad.

"In a few days, I pushed myself and I made it and my dreams came true," Delventhal said, of the grueling tryouts.

After the competition, Perez stood on the stage for several minutes, taking pictures with Miss Teen Connecticut, Sydney West, of Vernon, and some others.

Perez said she grew up in New York City and moved to Greenwich two years ago. She still works in the city, running a marketing company that endorses products through social media.

Since discovering she had a tumor in her jaw at age 7, Perez said she has had to receive treatments for many years. Though the tumor was benign, it required a series of operations.

"My last surgery was two years ago, but I'm healthy now," she said.

Because she's of Venezuelan descent, Perez said it's natural that she has competed in pageants her whole life. She took fourth runner-up in this competition last year and wanted to give it one more shot.

"I saw it, I believed it and I think I owned it," she said of the night. "This was my last time competing in a pageant."

Cover designed for the very first MISS TRI-STATE official Pageant Program Book | MISS TRI-STATE

Cover designed for the very first MISS TRI-STATE official Pageant Program Book • Contact the Miss Tri-State office and be a part of the Final Countdown for the "Face" of the Miss Tri-State Cover Girl Contest! Who will be featured front and center? Votes and ads are still being accepted until Dec 1st for the contest! For more info: www.misstristate.com • We offer graphic design solutions for all your pageantry needs! • ALL STATES, ALL AGES, ALL PAGEANT SYSTEMS WELCOME! 

Miss Earth holds pageant in PH amid typhoon devastation

ABS-CBNnews.com

MANILA -- This year's edition of the annual Miss Earth pageant, which continues to push for environmental awareness, will once again be held in the Philippines, this time amid one of the worst natural disasters to hit the country. International contestants started to arrive in the Philippines on Wednesday, less than a month before the finals night on December 7at Versailles Alabang in Las Piñas.

mong the preliminary activities of the 90 candidates, pageant organizer Carousel Productions told ABS-CBN News, is taking part in relief operations for the survivors of super typhoon "Yolanda."
A number of contestants assisted Thursday in repacking goods at the Quezon City headquarters of ABS-CBN's Sagip Kapamilya, which continues to send aid to devastated communities through its "Tulong Na, Tabang Na, Tayo Na" initiative. "I can only hope that we can bring as much awareness to it as possible, worldwide, to bring support to the Philippines," Miss USA Nicolle Velez told ABS-CBN News. "The roads are closed," Miss Guam Katarina Martinez noted, "[so we] can't travel there and help and assist in the way that we want to, so we have to do more on our part."

On its official Facebook page, Miss Earth Foundation said the pageant "more than ever, is not only timely but completely relevant," in light of the recent calamity. "Miss Earth will show to the world that beauty is not just an eye candy but a tool to help Mother Earth recover from disasters brought about by climate change," it said.

The international pageant, whose slogan is "beauties for a cause," has been held in the Philippines annually since 2001, except in 2010 when Vietnam hosted the finals night.

Jesica Ahlberg is Miss Alabama USA 2014

(by Auburn University staff writers)

Jesica Ahlberg, Auburn alumna '12 in public relations, is Miss Alabama USA 2014.

Ahlberg was selected on November 16, 2013 in Montgomery at the state pageant competition featuring women from all over Alabama. More than 100 contestants were in Montgomery competing for the titles of Miss Alabama USA and Miss Teen Alabama USA, according to WSFA. The competition serves as a preliminary for the Miss USA pageant which will take place in Miami, Florida.

After graduation, Ahlberg has been acting and modeling and is represented by agencies in Atlanta, Nashville and Los Angeles.

Among her acting credits, Ahlberg has a role in the upcoming Hunger Games: Catching Fire movie, the second in the series. Jesica is also appearing in Spongebob Squarepants 2 in theaters soon.

Miss Virginia USA - New "misses" crowned in Bristol

BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Fredericksburg, Va., swept Saturday’s Miss Virginia USA/ Miss Virginia Teen USA honors at the Paramount Center for the Arts in downtown Bristol.

Olivia Fletcher was crowned Miss Virginia Teen USA 2014, and Arielle Rosmarino was named Miss Virginia USA 2014. Fletcher was the Miss Fredericksburg Teen USA entrant and Rosmarino was the Miss Fredericksburg USA entrant.

Maggie Lawson, Miss Bristol USA, was the first runner-up in the Miss Virginia USA pageant while Cameron Smith, Miss Bristol Teen USA, was the first runner-up in the Miss Virginia Teen USA pageant.

Miss Universe 2013: 10 eye-popping moments

By By Jennifer Arellano

Source: Entertainment Weekly / Pop Watch

Congratulations are in order for the new Miss Universe, Gabriela Isler of Venezuela, who beat out 85 other international beauties Saturday night at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall, wearing a shimmering silver dress.While it’s another year of bleached perma-smiles, bizarro-glam costumery that make an ’80s Cher look modest, and suspiciously impressive résumés, for all the glitter and iridescent excess of Miss Venezuela’s finale dress, the event itself seemed a little lackluster this year. Maybe it was the absence of wonderfully cheeky host Andy Cohenpaired with the pure cheesiness of Giuliana Rancic? Or perhaps it was the lack of cringe-worthy fashion dialogue from usual suspect and style commentator Jeannie Mai? Or maybe my crazy-meter broke from theVMAs and Kanye rants and that Emmy musical number? Well, thankfully, it’s not completely broken, because there were still plenty of silly sights to spare. Behold, my picks for the 10 eye-popping Miss Universe 2013 moments:

1. A Nick Jonas shout-out. At least she didn’t pull a Hillary Swank. Did Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo thank her JoBro boyfriend during her parting speech? After thanking her family, friends, and the Donald, she said she couldn’t wait to start a new chapter with a “very special person who puts a smile on my face every day.”

2. Don’t hate them because they’re beautiful; hate them because they’re … superheroes? Apparently beauty queens save lives too. Instead of baton-twirling, flame-throwing extracurricular taglines, Miss Dominican Republic “helped deliver a baby when she was 17″ and Miss Switzerland “once pulled a drowning girl out of a pool.” C’mon, let’s feel inadequate together!

3. Angelina Jolie was a contestant! Well, sorta. Jin Ye, Miss China, was dubbed the Chinese Angelina Jolie. Do you see the resemblance? But where’s the vial of Billy Bob Thornton’s blood? Or the brood of diverse, aesthetically pleasing children?

4. Nostalgia watch: Tara Lipinski as a judge. Or “Lara Lipinski” as Mel B. mispronounced the retired figure skater’s name. What girl didn’t grow up wanting Olympic figure-skating gold when the tiny Tara won the 1998 Winter Olympics? Holy crap, she’s 31. Winter pipe dreams never die!


(read more)

Miss USA Pageant No Longer in Negotiations to be Hosted in Doral

By Willard Shepard, NBC Miami'

Council people in a Miami suburb said they were told by a Donald Trump representative that the 2014 Miss USA Pageant will not be held in their city because of political infighting and disparaging comments by the mayor. Trump owns the Doral Hotel & Country Club,a large resort and golf course in the city. Once Trump bought the resort in 2012, the city entered into negotiations with his team about hosting the pageant, said Councilwoman Ana Maria Rodriguez.

But the recent controversy between City Manager Joe Carollo and Mayor Luigi Boria coupled with unwelcoming comments from Boria about the pageant, have prompted Trump to move the 2014 contest in Las Vegas, according to sources within the council.

So on Thursday, Trump's representative called each council member individually to relay the news. They were told that he will make the announcement from the Miss Universe pageanton Saturday night.

“That decision was made by Donald Trump soon after the motion by the city commission of Doral to support bringing the Miss USA Pageant to Trump Doral and the mayor was very clear that he spoke against it and voted against it,” said Trump spokesman Ed Russo “And we want to avoid awkward situations like this.”

Trump said he would reconsider bringing the Miss USA Pageant to Doral at some future time.

"The announcement for next year's pageant for the Miss USA will no longer be in the Doral resort which is what we were all anticipating," said Ana Maria Rodriguez. "We are now informed that it will be happening in another city in and in another location which is very disappointing. We have been working very hard to get this pageant to our city." She added that an elected official said he doesn't want the pageant in Doral.

"The main reason is they don't want to have a pageant in the resort in a city where they feel the main person doesn't want them there--they are not welcome," she said. Vice Mayor Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera said it was disappointing and that it would've been great to have the pageant in the city.

"We are really taken by that because this would be a very big economic downturn for Doral," Rodriguez Aguilera said. She said it would've meant about $50 million for the city and the surrounding areas. "The situation that Doral is going through right now and we have been in the press for the wrong reasons," she said.

Meanwhile, Boria said he is still hopeful about the situation. "We don't know yet. We have to wait. I think we have be patient. Mr Trump make his ultimate word to us," Boria said.

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Burning Question: Why Do Venezuelan Women Rule Miss Universe?

(from Yahoo News)

Welcome to the Miss Universe-Burning Questions Lightning Round!

Q: Three of the last six Miss Universe pageants have been won by Miss Venezuela — what's in the water there? Are pageants a big part of their culture?

A: No, pageants aren't a big part of their culture. Pageants are amassive, huge, enormous part of their culture. In 2010, professor Belinda Edmondson of Rutgers University published an academic paper that pretty much summed it up: "In the beauty contest-obsessed societies of the Caribbean and Latin America, a contestant’s chances of winning a national pageant are directly related to the perception that she has a shot at winning an international beauty contest such as Miss World or Miss Universe."

In other words, in Latin America, beauty pageants serve much of the same hometown rah-rah function that football does in Texas, or basketball in Indiana.

"In the Caribbean, Africa, Latin America, and Asia, the beauty pageant is the quintessential middlebrow cultural product," Edmondson writes, "a mix of cheesecake, social desire, commercial canniness, and Third World nationalist ambition. Its winners are frequently used as spokeswomen to promote state initiatives in farming or commerce.

"The beauty pageant, then, covers roughly the same terrain as the romance novel — social aspiration, nationalism, and pleasure." As for Venezuela in particular, well, a source close to the Miss Universe organization puts it to me this way: "They take their pageants very seriously. It's a big deal, and a ton of girls compete. It's a different level of importance there, and they're fierce competitors."

Maria Gabriel Isler, the contest's new 25-year-old, half-Swiss champion climbed her way to the top of the Venezuelan circuit, while working as an anchor for a national TV network. Isler earned a bachelor's degree in marketing and seems to have specialized in presentation as an art form, having worked as a professional gift wrapper in her early life. She began her rise to Miss Universe winning the Miss Guarico prize — representing her home state — before winning the title of Miss Venuezla and finally the entire Universe.

Q: Which countries have produced the most Miss Universe winners?

A: Well, Isler marks the seventh Miss Universe to come out of Venezuela. But there's one country that has produced eight winners. Say it with me: U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! (FYI: Puerto Rico, which sends its own delegate, has won five times.)

Q: Does every country have a Miss Universe contestant?

A: Nope. Every year, 80 to 100 countries send women to compete. And the planet has more than 200 sovereign states on it. For example, this year's Miss Universe pageant did not contain a Miss Albania, Miss Armenia, Miss North Korea, or Miss Bahrain. There is also an opening for a Miss Bhutan, if you're thinking of maybe launching the franchise there.

Steven Tyler asks Isler about overcoming fears during the 2013 Miss Universe pageant:

Q: How do other countries crown their Misses? In countries where there isn't a democracy, but, say, a king or a sole ruler, can he just crown his girlfriend? Do princesses ever get to rep their country?

A: If you think that Miss Universe and McDonald's have little in common, think again. Both are run like franchises. Local organizations hoping to send a Miss Universe contestant to the big show have to get permission from the Miss Universe Organization.

Most of the time, a local pageant has determined the winner of each participating country, but not always. For a few years, Australia stopped hosting pageants, deeming them archaic, and instead selected its Miss Aussie via a modeling agency. (Oz has since reinstated pageants.) Royals, dictators, and problematic governments can't crown whomever they want ... at least, not without the pretense of a pageant or some other ceremonial contest. The Chinese license holder, for example, finds its Miss Universe China using a combination of regional contests and direct auditions.

Miss Universe 2013 winner is Miss Venezuela, Gabriela Isler

By Jamie Wetherbe, LA Times

And the crown goes to ... Miss Venezuela, Gabriela Isler, who was named Miss Universe 2013 Saturday night at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall. Miss Universe 2012, Olivia Culpo, crowned Isler at the conclusion of the two-hour telecast, viewed by an estimated 1 billion people from 190 countries.

Isler beat out contestants from 85 other countries at the 62nd annual competition to nab the crown for Venezuela, the country's seventh Miss Universe title. The 25-year-old, 5-foot, 10-inch beauty works as an anchor for Venezuela's Venevision television; her experience is likely to come in handy during her one-year stint as Miss Universe.

Soon after her win, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro tweeted his congratulations, calling her victory a "triumph." Isler was selected by a panel of eight judges including celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, gold medal figure skater Tara Lipinski and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, who pulled double duty with a performance during the show.

MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts and “America’s Got Talent” alum and former Spice Girl Melanie Brown served as co-hosts. The pageant took place in Russia for the first time, sparking debate over the country's anti-gay laws. Roberts, who is openly gay, stepped in as pageant co-host after Bravo's Andy Cohen opted out following Russia's enactment of a law banning "homosexual propaganda."

"I certainly think that discriminatory laws are just that, discriminatory and they marginalize the LGBT community," Roberts told Agence France-Press on the red carpet. "I empathize with the LGBT people here." Roberts, however, didn't take the issue to the stage. He dedicated the telecast to victims of the recent typhoon in the Philippines. "We send our very best, our thoughts," he said.

Isler on Sunday preformed her first duty as the new Miss Universe by posing in a ruby and diamond bejeweled swimsuit worth an estimated $1 million.

Miss Nicaragua Wins Best National Costume Prize @ Miss Universe

During the 2013 MISS UNIVERSE Preliminary Competition, Nastassja Bolivar – Miss Universe Nicaragua took home the prize for the best National Costume and a credit of $5,000 USD from Russian Standard Bank. The National Costume show was held on Sunday, November 3 at Vegas Mall in Moscow Russia. Congrats!