Judging – The Pageant Consultancy

NOTEWORTHY: This Is How You Do Pageant Photography

It is that time of year again when the most successful national pageant in the world, Miss Venezuela, gets underway. The unveiling of the official photos of this year’s contestants reveals the reason for the success of Osmel Sousa’s enterprise. Venezuela always manages to take the contest to new heights, this year through photography.

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Miss Venezuela photographer Alejandro Lee captures the imagination which images that look made right on the (IMG) Miss Universe stage.

Everything is on point, the styling, the shoes and the retro swimsuits, which highlight the hourglass figures.

It shows the care and attention to detail that goes into the planning of the Miss Venezuela pageant and the performance of their winners internationally.

Regretfully, most national pageants chose to hate rather than emulate the Miss Venezuela Organization. Yet, nothing succeeds like success!

Which Pageant System Is Most Suitable To You?

One of the most important factors to consider when making the decision to enter a pageant is which pageant system to compete in. Most systems are similar in the competition format they use, but pageants tend to have differing goals and expectations for and from their winners. So the first question you have to ask yourself is “which system would I be most comfortable becoming and being the winner in?”

As is well-known, all the major beauty pageants, except Miss World, include a swimsuit round. It means that being physically fit is important. Miss Universe used to expect a lot from its contestants in this round, whereas there is evidence that in other systems you can get away with less effort. It used to be that if you were fit enough for Miss Universe, you are ready for the other contests, yet being fit enough for another competition did not mean you were Miss Universe-ready. Therefore one primordial question to consider is “how much effort am I willing to put forth in getting fit?” In pondering this question, please take into account that Miss World also has a fitness round, albeit centred on sport performance rather than physical appearance.

Closely related is the issue of being willing to compete in a swimsuit round. If you are not, then the only real option available to you is the Miss World system. Miss Universe has allowed a Muslim contestant to compete in a burkini and some national pageants, preliminary to an international contest which includes a swimsuit round, have allowed contestants to compete in the swimsuit portion in a different kind of garment, to cover their bodies. Many have applauded this move as empowering to the young women involved. We believe this just allows one individual to impose their will on the organisation and the other participants, therefore disempowering them. Each pageant’s rules are known in advance and if a contestant has any objection to any of the requirements of the contest, she should simply not compete.

Another consideration is whether the competition includes a talent round. Do you have a pageant-worthy talent or do you have time to actually fake one?

Another issue to ponder is the length of the international competition. This can vary from a few days to close to a month. The longer the contest, the more activities there will be and the greater the amount of money you will have to invest in an appropriate wardrobe and the more it will cost you to transport all that wardrobe to the pageant’s venue. It also means you will have to take more time off work or studies. Are you willing to invest all that time and money?

Finally, you have to consider what is expected of the winner of the competition. Some pageants require you to live in their headquarter city for the duration of your reign and travel extensively. This may sound glamorous, but stop to consider whether you really are willing to put your regular life on hold for a period of time and submit your independence to an organisation.

You should enter into a pageant with open eyes, aware of all that is expected of you. If not you could be in for a rude awakening.

Effortless in 2017, Jakub Kucner, Mister Polski 2017 & Mister World Poland 2018

As we have said before, we consider the Mister Polski contest one of the two best national male competitions in the world (the other is Mister Brasil CNB). It is run over several months, with preliminary competitions to select the final 20 who will compete for the coveted title.

Many themed photoshoots are organised and the social media presence for the contest should be an example for competitions, both male and female, are over the world. The contestants are presented as examples of down-to-earth masculinity, a practice most male competitions would do well to follow.

This year, we pegged the very charismatic Jakub Kucner as the one to beat and he did prove to be unbeatable in a very strong field of finalists.

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Jakub has a strong social media presence, with which he shares his life with us. From cheeky childhood pictures,

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to his experience as a model,

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to his charity work in the Gambia,

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to regular, everyday activities, including his physical transformation.

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Through it all you get to know Jakub as a well-spoken, caring human being, who takes full advantage of life opportunities, without putting on airs or trying to show off.

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The Effortless Mister Poland will be a force to reckon with at the next Mister World competition.

What did we Learn from our MASTERCLASSES on the Best Gown Looks of the 65th Miss Universe Pageant?

the Miss Universe title is won in a bespoke creation by a proper designer, never in an off the rack knock off by a so-called “fashion house”
find the classic shape that will highlight your best features and then look for a unique fabric
wear elegant shoes that fit with and complement your gown
hairstyles should be elegantly simple
keep your neck unencumbered
do not overaccesorise
stay away from too much bling

MASTERCLASS: The Best Gown Look of the 65th Miss Universe Pageant’s Preliminary Competition

It is time to present the Best Gown Look of the 65th Miss Universe pageant, not only of the Preliminary competition. Coupled with an masterful catwalk presentation, this gown set Iris Mittenaere well on her way to winning the title of Miss Universe.

Indeed, the Best Gown Look of the 65th Miss Universe pageant belongs to

MISS FRANCE

Its unusual colour made Iris’ gown stand out in a sea of same-olds and its shape was perfect to showcase the future Miss Universe’s hourglass figure and gorgeous shoulders. The choice of shoes, hairstyle and accessories complemented the elegance and class of the gown and Iris’ catwalk and poses were simply ideal for this unique gown.

Iris Mittenaere, Miss France 2016 competes on stage in her evening gown during the 65th MISS UNIVERSE® Preliminary Competition at the Mall of Asia Arena on Thursday, January 26, 2017. The contestants have been touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the Miss Universe crown in the Philippines. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed on Sunday, January 29, live from the Philippines to see who will become Miss Universe. HO/The Miss Universe Organization

Iris looked ready for the red carpet of all the major award ceremonies and even the Met Gala. Or as it turns out, to win the Miss Universe crown.

This presentation gave us an indication of what we are now seeing, that Iris Mittenaere will be one of the, if not the, most stylish and fashion forward Misses Universe of the last 20 years.

MASTERCLASS: The Third Best Gown Look of the 65th Miss Universe Pageant’s Preliminary Competition

The recently concluded 65th edition of the Miss Universe pageant, now under ownership of WME/IMG, encompassed a redefinition of the brand.

The gowns worn by the contestants in the competition however, defy redefinition. The Miss Universe stage should be the showcase for elegant, fashion forward creations by up and coming designers from around the world. Yet this year once again, the majority of contestants wore dresses that you would only see in a pageant or at a prom.

A select group of contestants though, did manage to present red carpet looks suitable for the most elegant and classy events.

We are presenting to you the five gown looks that we consider pushed the envelope in the right direction during the Preliminary competition of the latest Miss Universe pageant.

In third place we have:

MISS JAMAICA

Isabel Dalley, the second Caribbean queen to make our list, is truly a Lady in Red in this exquisite creation, complemented by the ideal hairstyle and accessorised with suitable earrings and footwear.

How would we improve on this look?

The feathers are really not needed and diminish the elegance.

MASTERCLASS: The Fifth Best Gown Look of the 65th Miss Universe Pageant’s Preliminary Competition

When the Miss Universe Organization was bought by Donald Trump the late Nineties, the Miss Universe pageant went through a self-described Redefinition. One can say that the recently concluded 65th edition of the pageant, now under ownership of WME/IMG, was another rebranding.

What defies redefinition however, are the gowns worn by the contestants in the competition. One could imagine that the Miss Universe stage would be the perfect showcase for elegant and fashion forward creations by up and coming talent from around the world. Yet every year, and this year again, the majority of contestants wears dresses that you would only see in a pageant or at a prom.

Still there are some contestants who manage to present red carpet looks suitable for the most elegant and classy events.

We will present to you the five gown looks that we consider to have pushed the envelope in the right direction during the Preliminary competition of the latest Miss Universe pageant.

Starting in 5th Place:

MISS USA

Deshauna Barber wore a gown of very simple design made eye-catching by the beauty of the material used. The colour looks amazing on her and the classic styling, without much embellishment, completes a look of understated elegance.

How would we have improved on this look?

The matching earrings are too obviously costume jewellery and cheapen the overall result. These earrings, although also costume, are of a richer appearance and would complement the gown beautifully.

Styling Perfection

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Anna Burdzy, First Runner-up Miss Universe Great Britain 2014, gives a Master Class in evening gown styling. From the flawless make-up to the perfect accessorising. Most notable is the perfect hairstyle to highlight one of the most beautiful features of a woman, her neck.

Too often we see beauty queens covering their necks with hair, necklaces and gown necks, absolutely not the way to go for evening gown.

Anna, we commend you for your styling perfection.

WHY ARE YOU COMPETING IN A PAGEANT?

Over the many years I have been involved with pageants, I have heard different reasons why young ladies compete in them. Some are very lofty, some are simple and most of them are not the real reason.

The true reason you compete is what will ultimately determine how you react to the outcome of your participation. Therefore, it is primordial that you are very clear on why you are competing and what it would mean if you win or not.

It may very well be that you are not even aware of the real reason you are competing. Any objective that entails personal development, moving out of your comfort zone and challenging yourself, is a good one, because no matter what the outcome you will realise your goal.

Consider though if you are competing to prove your worth to someone else. Off course, if you win you will feel a great sense of accomplishment. If you do not, it will be a tremendous disappointment and you will probably make it mean that now the person(s) must think even less of you. I doubt that is the outcome anyone wants out of their participation in a pageant.

In preparing to compete in a pageant, be brutally honest with yourself. Really take a cold, hard look at your true reason for competing. Find out if you are prepared to deal with the outcome of not winning, given what your real motivation is. You may realise that another avenue of dealing with whatever is bothering you, will be more beneficial for you.

You will find that you are most successful competing in pageants when your ultimate goal is to grow as a human being. For most people, competing is stepping out of their comfort zone and that is probably the greatest benefit you can derive from pageants. At the end of the day, your success is measured by the personal achievement you walk away with and that doesn’t even have to entail a crown.

FAILURE IS OUR FRIEND

You can ask Kandace Krueger

One thing I always tell my coachees is that they have to compete to win and prepare to fail. Competing to win means you have to give it your all. Preparing to fail just recognizes that the odds are not forever in your favour.

We have an interesting relationship to failure, as we attach all sorts of meaning to the fact that we have failed at something. The “Oxford Pocket School Dictionary” defines the noun “failure” as “not being able to do something”. That is all failure is, really. There were some measures you wanted to meet and you were unable to.

Off course, in beauty pageants failure is somewhat harder to take because your success depends for a great part on the opinion of others, the panel of judges. In sports you train hard for an event and after the event you know immediately whether your performance was sufficient for you to be successful. You also know which measures you need to improve in order to win next time.

Beauty pageant results are dependent on the personal opinions of a very specific group of people at a very specific moment. If you change just one of the judges, you most probably will get a different result. The opinion of those judges can also be easily affected by something very simple over which you have no control. Imagine if you will that you chose a gown colour, which is exactly the same colour as one of the judges or a judge’s date wore to the prom. Seeing that gown colour will have a whole different effect on that judge if his or her prom night was one of the best nights of his or her life or if it was a disastrous experience.

Failing at something does not make you a failure nor does it mean that you are any less than the winner. The winner was successful at meeting the measures and you and many others were not. That’s all! What you need to do is evaluate the result. You may decide that for you that one time was enough and that is fine.

If winning that crown is sufficiently important for you, do try again. Look at where you can improve your performance, make the necessary adjustments and go back on the field.

One shining example of someone who never let failure hold her back is Kandace Krueger, who won the Miss Texas USA 2000 title at the age of 24. Since turning 18, Kandace had competed in local Miss Texas USA preliminaries, doing well but never winning.

In 1999, Kandace won her first local title but did not place at Miss Texas USA. In 2000 she won her second local title and, in her first appearance in the Miss TEXAS USA semi-finals, Kandace went all the way to win the right to represent Texas at Miss USA 2001.

Kandace won that title as well and placed third at Miss Universe 2001.