as they say, better late than never. i haven’t been as up-to-the-minute with miss unibarse this year, but that doesn’t mean the interest has waned.
my favorite national costume is japan’s and evening gown is korea’s (above).
some of the other remarkable dresses and costumes after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »
check out my early favorites:
most of the dollegates have been posted! keep checking the site for the rest of the dolls and for your chance to vote!
click here and here for last year’s coverage,
and click here for the interview with the organizers.
doll collectors and motorcycle enthusiasts of the world, here is the latest barbie and ken for harley-davidson.
i like them a lot. someone buy me the gift set please. i have to say ken is cute here — in a gossip girl kind of way. you know, brows furrowed a bit in concentration, eyes piercing the distance, mouth clenched like a silent snob. so i wonder what the big boys of hell’s angels have to say about it? well, he does have skulls tattoo on his forearm… still, he doesn’t look much of a biker to me. as for barbie, i wonder what the ladies of motoring say about her cream-colored jacket and trousers? though i believe these are taken from actual harley-davidson apparel. but i like her as a brunette this time and with cher’s hairstyle to boot. well, she does have a pierced navel…
wanting is my least favorite feeling. that is, if you call that a feeling. otherwise, wanting is my least favorite action. because in order to satisfy it, one needs money. and if one is not willing to part with money, the feeling has to be suppressed. or the action has to be corrected, if you consider it that. whichever way one wishes to deal with wanting, it’s not a very pleasant business.
as for me, whenever i feel a strong sense of wanting things, i write about them. it gives me a feeling of accommodation… a very misplaced security, but security nonetheless. as if by committing images of these things in my blog makes them mine in a very existential sense. ok, it’s a very perverted view of consumerism, but it sure beats the hell out of overspending. besides, i’d probably end up actually purchasing one or two of the things in consideration (especially if they are on sale; in which circumstance, i can blame marketing for ruining my budget). then i can move on with my life.
chloe eau de parfum. chloe’s concoction bearing its signature represents the unfettered me.
oooooohhh… look who’s a judge…
at the special awards banquet
presenting the final 5!
did you really think the doll directors could get away without an interview portion?
Question: If we agree that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” then why is the U.S. divided in regards to same-sex unions/marriage?
miss korea
Answer: The current opposition to same-sex marriage is rooted in ignorance and fear. Prejudice is based on ignorance; believing someone is somehow less than anyone else shows an inability to perceive another’s struggles and joys. If we were each able to walk a day on another’s shoes, prejudice would cease to exist, and compassion would prevail. Fear is involved because many people are terrified of what they don’t understand. The fearful allow their morals to be decided by religion or peer pressure, so they can be assured they fit in somewhere. When one can release that fear, acceptance will take its place. The abilities to understand and accept each other–and the desire to do just that–is the epitome of humanity.
miss new zealand
Answer: This country is no way different from the fact that man made laws are different of that of his Creator. As man made laws were selfishly created to benefit oneself, while the other was unselfishly created in consideration for all.
miss nigeria
Answer: I believe that the divide stems from our individual conservative upbringings and our fear of the unknown. I think we give too much power to others that we allow them to think and decide what is deemed acceptable and that any deviation from the set ‘standard’ is an abomination. In essence we have lost the ability to think and feel for ourselves and that to me is the tragedy. It is only when we start opening our eyes and our hearts to the things foreign to us that we gain back the power to decide for ourselves what is right from wrong. Let us not live life with bigotry and ignorance rather we should choose to live life with love, compassion and understanding.
miss egypt
Answer: I think that the divide is from an obsolete document written in a much simpler time handled and transcribed by individuals with a very narrow point of view of our growing society. These are the very same people that wants to preserve the ‘old traditional’ values of marriage while disregarding other unions outside of a man and a woman and that is where the problem lies. We are all unique and beautiful individuals that deserve our individual rights to be protected by the laws that govern us. It should not be about religion and government rather it should be about love, respect and equality.
miss venezuela
Answer: I do feel that inequality by any means is a crime to humanity. Unfortunately it is caused by imposing certain beliefs to others. Lucky are those who are able to fight it, sad for those who can’t. For those who are free to choose, to believe and express it we should remember that for humanity to move forward we should be able to adapt to changes. We can’t deny other’s to be happy and free.
and the winner is…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlRyB3z2vD0&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b]
congratulations and job well done, doll organizers and directors!
if you look around this blog, you will find that it’s no secret how i adore barbie dolls. a few months ago, i discovered a team of creative minds who don’t just adore these dolls, they downright labor over them and established miss unibarse, the annual doll pageant meant to simulate a grand slam pageant in a literally smaller scale. but as we have learned from a past interview (posted here), there is certainly nothing small about this somehow wild and wonderful idea.
for one, f&g photography and global queen beauty management, the brains and talents behind this event, have clearly spared no expense and devoted no little effort in preparing their “dollegates”. looking at the results, you can tell immediately that these are not your average children-at-heart playing with dolls. these are professionals and artists who have taken painstaking care and precision in conceptualizing and preparing each candidate. and two, they involve a panel of judges with industry credibility so serious, this might as well get sponsorship from a few forbes 500 companies (or at least mattel, i honestly think).
previous judges include (from r-l) miss universe '05 natalie glebova, miss earth '07 jessica trisko, and miss international '07 priscila perales.
according to a reliable source, this year the panel includes two celeb judges who, for discretionary reasons, must remain unnamed. it should be enough to note that these two are affiliated with that very famous and often very controversial benefactor of the miss universe organization, mr. d.t. (namesake of a hot-tempered duck in a popular animation syndicate).
moving on to this year’s festivities…
organizers and judges have just concluded the special events of national costume, press presentation (for miss photogenic), swimsuit, evening gown and online voting (for the “people’s choice” award). here are some of my favorite moments:
candidates arrive at the host country.
luncheon with reigning miss unibarse 2008, miss dominican republic.
press presentation to determine the most photogenic candidate.
parade of nations.
backstage at the evening gown competition.
here are my favorite national costumes:
and evening gowns:
thanks to us, obsessive online voters of the philippines, our “dollegate” has fast-tracked her way into the top 25! (we are the same obsessive online voters responsible for ms. philippines winning miss photogenic every year in the real grand slam pageants)
from 80 candidates, now we’re down to the top 25. check them out and the rest of the fast-track winners:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh21O0I4S3E&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b]
visit the miss unibarse website to learn more about the pageant and to keep track of your favorite candidates!
like any christmas break in the philippines, many urbanites start heading to coastal areas for some holiday fun and frolic in the sea and sand. as for fiji, we get a wave of tourist arrivals from the frigid northern hemisphere, wanderlusters averse against the bitter cold to bask themselves under the pacific sun.
it’s fun to fashion-watch holiday tourists in the resorts. it’s like walking into a brochure. of course, it would be so rude to just snap photos of resort guests who come here for rest, relaxation and privacy, so just trust me that most ladies wear bright printed sundresses, wide-brim hats, oversize sunglasses and rubber flip-flops. while this kind of ensemble is very apt for the nature-inspired vibe of the island, sometimes i get to see some jordi labanda-esque tropical wear which i happen to favor an awful lot.
instead of invading the tourists’ private space by taking sudden photos, i assembled some diva-style tropical outfits in polyvore taking cues from the famous pop-art of jordi so you can get an idea of what i’m talking about. to make it more timeless, i stuck to neutral black and white with denim. plus washes of gold because i love how they reflect the sunlight and how they complement the sparkle of the sea.
poolside
resort shopping
clubbing
a few tips on how to look like a fashionable work of pop-art in the resort:
over-accessorize. if you want to look like a diva, there are times you have be fearless about wearing jewelry at the beach or poolside (that is, if you don’t intend to swim; you’d rather not risk losing them in the water). sleek or chunky watches, thick or piled-on bangles, bumblebee or aviator sunglasses, unique hats.
wear figure-skimming outfits. as much as possible, keep away from babydoll dresses and other cuts that de-emphasize your figure. you can only wear an oversize top if it is a sheer cover-up over your bikini.
limit prints. solid colors, especially deep shades, make you look leaner and, combined with the previous tip, even taller. if you want more color in your tropical diva wardrobe, opt instead for wide stripes or color-blocking.
give your flip-flops a rest. no diva will be caught dead in these. rock your strappy sandals.
nail polish. hands with bold nail colors make a strong statement. and they look fantastic holding that glass of mimosa. toenails with the same or complementing shade makes a fabulous end to your bare legs.
waterproof mascara. abundant lashes with your naturally glowing skin, thanks to the tropical sun, makes you look like a complete knock-out.
sun-seekers, hope you have fun in the holiday sun!
as i am now in a resort culture, my first fashion entry coming back from a dry spell is reasonably one about resort collections.
it wasn’t too long ago when the fancy term “resort” made its way into the glamorous jargon of annual fashion events, squeezing itself among the blur of fabrics that are “spring-summer” and “fall-winter”.
so what exactly is the resort collection?
though the term gained solid existence only in recent fashion history, resort wear itself goes far back when the wealthy jet-set formed a viable market for high fashion appropriate for escaping the bitter winter as they fly off to warm tropical climates. it used to be primarily made up of light materials, gossamer fabrics, billowy hats, open footwear and multifarious swimwear, but designers have now considered the other side of the jet-set who run off to aspen rather than the bahamas by including toasty materials, furry hats, snug boots and warm gloves.
my favorite pieces from resort 09 collections:
badgley mischka
luca luca
narciso rodriguez
nicole miller
rag & bone
while girls in many countries blessed with year-long sunshine prefer their wardrobes to consist mainly of jeans and shirts, i think it would be a fine idea to introduce some dresses and hats (yes, hats. why is it that not many women wear hats in the philippines?). i like jeans and shirts too, but i find myself wearing dresses more often here in fiji. they are more comfortable under tropical heat, plus they are easier to pack and wash. and i always wear a hat.
don’t forget your sunscreen.
FIJI!
will resume regular posting very soon. hope to see you around here!
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