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.

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check out my early favorites:

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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…

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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!

this is robyn, my little 20-month-old.

say hi, robyn! hi, everyone!

many people say she looks like a cartoon character. she has been compared to the powerpuff girls and puss in boots from shrek.

but her looks have been compared to dora the explorer most. friends and family who look through her pictures quickly remark that she looks like dora. when we take her to malls, random strangers would actually stop to say she looks like dora.

well, now that i think about it, she does have the big eyes, the small mouth, the brown complexion and the helmet hair like dora… and now that it has occurred to me, i believe i would like to dress up my little girl like her cartoon lookalike. i think that would be hilarious.

of course, i could just get the costume and dress her up like this:

but i think it would be cooler if the ensemble is not exactly the same as dora’s. in fact, i would prefer some vintage details (it’s my fetish du jour, vintage vibes) in the outfit. so here are the things i would love to get for her:

deep pink "girls rule" shirt from junk food. awesome vintage wonder woman print!

red gym shorts with white details from gold rush

red striped shorts from gold rush

with that shirt and either of those shorts, my girl would look like someone straight out of the 70′s!

as for the socks and shoes, i would prefer to switch their colors: white for the socks, yellow for the shoes.

lettuce-edge white socks from nordstrom

vans "big school" yellow toddler sneakers with velcro straps

and here are the absolutely non-negotiable items in the dora ensemble:

it's backpack and map! yay!!!

i wonder if they sing too? (backpack, backpack! i’m the map, i’m the map!)

say bye, robyn! bye, everyone!

one of the most creative, most fun ideas i have stumbled upon this year is miss unibarse.

miss unibarse 2008 crowned ms. dominican republic as the winner. our own ms. philippines was 4th runner-up (right)

miss unibarse (a name combining “miss universe” and “barbie”) is a unique competition that styles and photographs dolls (cleverly called “dollegates”) in ways that simulate real beauty pageants.

the miss unibarse organization invests talent and effort in creating each doll, paying close attention to the minutest details, converting dollegates to works of art. finalists and winners are then determined through online voting and evaluation by an illustrious panel of judges.

miss unibarse 2007 winners.

the miss unibarse organization was so gracious, they responded to my email interview. check it out:

when did miss unibarse start and how did it start?
It started in 2005, my partner and I played around with the idea of combining our love for pageants, Top Model make-overs and photography.  We started with 2 dolls, ended up buying 38 more then shared our work with our friends via internet not thinking others would pay attention.

five of the 2007 dollegates in their lady samurai costumes

who are the organizers behind it?
We are known here in Los Angeles as F&G.  We created the Miss Unibarse Organization which produces the Miss Unibarse event and our other partner in crime is Global Queen Beauty Management which helps prepare the dollegates with their hair, make-up and competition garments.

f&g cover shot of miss unibarse 2008

how are finalists determined? how are winners crowned?
what are the categories?
This year we are only allowing 50 dollegates.  40 will be chosen from the internet by the fans and 10 by MUO and GQBM.  Those 50 will compete in national costume, swimsuit, gowns and presentation, an online voting will also take place for the “People’s Choice” for the crown.

miss unibarse dollegates in their casual wear.

The top scores in each category (gowns, costumes etc.) together with the ‘People’s Choice’ will get 1 of the 5 ‘fast track’ spots.  The following 20 will be based on the highest composite scores for all categories.

miss unibarse dollegates in their national costumes.

After the 25 have been chosen, they compete in various photo challenges at the end of each challenge 5 will be eliminated until we are left with 5.  The last 5 will face off in the final question, answered by the doll director.

miss unibarse 2008 finalists

who are the members of the jury?
In all competition they are judged by an international panel of online judges.  Last year we had Miss Earth 2007, Jessica Trisko and Miss International Priscilla Perrales judge the events.  In 2007, we had Miss Universe Natalie Glebova as one of our panel of judges.

what are the criteria for judging?
A great photo in every category that transforms a doll into a piece of artwork.

miss unibarse 2008 from dominican republic. seriously stunning.

who photographs the “dollegates”?
We take our own photos. We are photographers by trade.  We are F&G Photography, you can see more of our work here: www.missunibarse.com/fandg

miss unibarse dollegates at the welcome bonfire

who have been crowned before? who have won in categories?

2005: Namibia
2006: Japan
2007: Palau
2008: Dominican Republic

You can view the other special awards on our website soon

simply gorgeous!

online voting for miss unibarse 2009 ongoing. vote for your favorite dollegates! do check out their websites:

homepage of the miss unibarse site features ms. dominican republic 2008 in costume. click!

our very own miss philippines has made the top 5 of the first batch! voting for the second batch of dollegates under way. go now! support your favorite dolls!

the miss unibarse blog gives you up-to-date news about the doll pageant, as well as real pageants. click!

my sincerest gratitude to the miss unibarse organization for taking the time to answer my questions and for allowing me to feature their doll pageant and photos in my blog.

all photos lifted from www.missunibarse.com and www.missunibarse.com/blog.

i just learned that edward cullen celebrated his birthday last june 20. i am not a twilight fan, but i try to keep abreast of the latest. and looks like there is no later entertainment fanaticism than twilight and edward cullen, what with all the parties held just to celebrate a fictitious birthday.

he turned 108 last june 20

anyway…

that suddenly got me thinking: when are the birthdays of my favorite fictitious characters? and that tiny superstitious speck in me wonders: what do their star signs say about them?

october 31

bart is a scorpio:

Scorpio people are magnetic, powerful, forceful, emotional, sexual, and psychic. Scorpios are incredibly passionate, persistent, and intense. Scorpios are often the “spiritual seekers” trying to find the right path for themselves which can be ever changing. Being naturally intuitive a Scorpio is able to easily see through lies or secrets, it’s just not easy to fool them. But their powers of secrecy for themselves are grand, mysterious, and very instinctual for them. A Scorpio doesn’t usually like you to know everything about them; they are cautious, meticulous, deliberate, and deeply emotional.

doesn’t sound like bart. does it?

depending on your sources, it is either february 17 or april 7

if bruce wayne’s birthday falls on february 17, then he would be aquarius:

Aquarians are people who are very independent, honest, rebellious, original in thought, inventive, and they are born humanitarians. They are deep analytical thinkers with definite opinions and beliefs that they enjoy sharing with others. They enjoy a good debate, and love to prove how open minded they are. Always highly intelligent and logical an Aquarian is also very serious minded. Their sense of humor is often dry or unusual. Aquarians can be loners, sometimes withdrawing themselves from the world while their sensitive side seeks true companionship.

if bruce wayne’s birthday is on april 7, then he would be an aries:

Aries people generally have a strong independent personality, they are aggressive, competitive, original, adventurous, and can be argumentative just to enjoy the debate. Aries love to do “physical” things and be active, even sometimes taking dangerous risks just to win. An Aries will always say what’s on their mind, and they will confront anyone who doesn’t treat them with respect. Aries are a lot of fun and very playful, so they enjoy being the center of attention and the life of the party. They tend to get bored easily so they need to find ways to stay active. . Aries are forward, to the point, out spoken, and have a deep desire to be in charge. Aries are natural leaders and therefore they may challenge authority figures. Often they tend to be the “heroes” or the rescuers to their friends and family.

both aquarius and aries seem to fit bruce wayne… which is a better fit though?

march 9

barbie is a pisces:

Pisces people are born with the gift of prophecy and with all the right things in place, they are deeply spiritual people. Pisces is known for compassion, sensitivity, patience, romance, imagination, and natural intuition. A Pisces is very imaginative and loves to just be alone with thoughts or their fantasy world. Many have some type of spiritual awakening; a moment of enlightenment, in their life. A Pisces can be literally inspiring to others and will even sacrifice their own desires to support a loved one. Being so emotionally sensitive, it is easy at times for a Pisces to seek escape through over indulgence.

barbie, spiritual?? hyeah, right. over indulgence is more like it.

depending on your sources, winnie-the-pooh is either august 21 or october 14

if winnie-the-pooh’s birthday is on august 21, he would be a leo:

Leos are larger than life because they attract others easily and are strong, generous, passionate, and hard workers. A Leo has a zest for life, ambition, and have a very sharp wit. Leos are natural leaders, they want to do it all their own way without help, just to prove to themselves that they can. They are cheerful, fun, pleasant, and stand out among a crowd that gives them plenty of attention. They are powerful personalities and call attention to their greatness. A Leo needs to be noticed for their abilities, and if you do then you’ll for sure have a great friend. Leos are good at heart, creative, fun loving, and have a fierce ambition to succeed in anything they do.

if winnie-the-pooh’s birthday is on october 14, he would be a libra:

Librans love beauty, creativity, and balance. Libras are wonderful writers and communicators because their wit and charm shine through their words. Libras are analytical thinkers that weigh both sides to every issue, sometimes spending far more time then is needed. A Libra is friendly, lovable, social, sensual, charming, intellectual, and dramatic. They are born to flirt, which in most cases is just harmless fun and a part of their natural “sparkle”. Libras look for the positives in life, because it is prettier than a negative. A Libra tends to try and please everyone needing to always feel “liked”, accepted, and understood.

pooh seems like a libra to me.

anyway, just a few days ago, june 18, was clark kent’s “birthday”. well, the day he landed on earth, at least. no one knows when he was born on krypton. he was adopted by the kents on june 25. so happy birthday, superman! yep, i think you can pwn edward cullen (ok, fangirls, you can hate me now).

all zodiac personality traits are lifted from http://www.mistichouse.com/zodiac/.

although bratz has been reeling in a larger portion of the tweenie market, i still happen to like myscene, mattel’s answer to the doll phenom, better. first off, i think they look cuter. then there’s the issue of loyalty; i grew up on barbie and other mattel toys.

another reason to like myscene is their frivolous and fabulous website.

www.myscene.com

and since i feel as if i missed out on my teenage years because i was a wallflower then, i can make up for it by drawing vicarious pleasure from living the cyber-life of the myscene girls (frankly, i just want to play…).

you can meet the myscene friends, get to know them and sneak a peek into their bio:

get to know the myscene friends: kennedy, madison, nia, chelsea and delancey.

if you have valley girl fantasies, this is your chance to play out your inner teen diva:

go shopping with two friends. among other scenes, you can shop for going to a concert event, a winter getaway, or another, uh... shopping spree.

give a friend a makeover: hair, make-up and accessories.

be a fashion designer by creating clothes, shoes and accessories you can print out for your own paper doll.

or maybe interior design is more your avenue. unleash the artist in you by getting a room makeover.

sounds like a lot of fun, doesn’t it? plus you can get beauty and fashion ideas from the styles you create.

who said (cyber)dolls are just for kids?