Oh yes, this time we are doing whisky.
The Duchess First List/Review
Miss Universe 2019
Sigh, so the arrivals for Miss Universe 2019 are finally upon and in other years I would be static, overjoyed and quiet honestly, I would stop everything to follow Miss Universe. Miss Universe was the only pageant I watched until a coupled years ago, following it since I was honestly a kid looking from a distraction of the world. And in that distraction, I found myself immersed into this world where many think it’s just glitz, glam and a parade of swimsuit. And I quickly discovered that it was far more than that, I found myself reading about accomplished educated women who had goals and accomplishments. Usually far more than those who created stereotypes of queens being nothing but airheads and superficial beings. I found myself completely in awe with fashion, photography and quite honestly just the spectacle of the final night as every year; but that year I possessed an appreciation because I followed it. That year we almost won just by a couple spots in one of the best stories of persevering and hope, that year we secured our first placement since the victory of Zuleyka Rivera.
That was ten years ago. Which is weird to think about actually.
Ten years later, I find myself… not really excited for Miss Universe as I should be. And this is not to say I am not excited about my dear Madison finally competing or even the rest of the candidates given that I feel we could have another fantastic top 10. But honestly, after years of defending the things IMG has actually done well for the Miss Universe brand… I also feel disappointed by the things they have actually done that actually give a negative backlash to the brand. And I know I not the only one. This year I feel IMG has actually kind of taken the cake in terms of doing these sorts of things and I have to say that it has taken quite a chunk of my excitement. And no, the Duchess is not naïve, but the Duchess also believes that there can be a balance between business and fair pageantry. I don’t expect PR and business to not influence some of the decisions the organization will take, but honestly? Now I am not going to sit here and rant as I was going to because I think the least, I can do for my favorite pageant is wait until the final night. But I will speak on certain points that I do need to get off my chest at least once before the pageant because my Pre-Preliminary picks and Final Prediction will be solely focused on the girls. Unless something really big or a huge controversy unravels which, I doubt it will. I’m also not saying this from a place of sarcasm or sass because if you want me to be candid… I am going to a very exhausting period in my life. And honestly, I just want to get things of my chest.
First of all, I believe Catriona Gray had the potential to one of the most glamorous non-stop and relevant reigns in the history of Miss Universe… and she was denied that. Anyone following non-pageant related social media the day after the preliminary, you would have known that Catriona was gaining a lot of traction. She was kind of hit with the “Slow-Mo” walk in the prelims to non-pageant folk, people were making memes and giving her a lot of attention. Then came the finale and let’s be absolutely real, Catriona’s evening performance became a viral sensation to the point of even Tyra Banks talking about it. My mind raced to think of different ways for her to do with that momentum, and 10 days away from giving up her crown… they didn’t take advantage of that potential at all. I would have sent that girl to show after show, I would have even talked to Tyra Banks herself and made super relatable videos of the whole lava walk thing. So many ways you could have gotten her more exposure. Another thing is that she barely got to do anything close to what she could have because she wasn’t given the resources to do so. And yes, I know that travel don’t say much about a queen’s reign and I agree on that. But really, you really expect people and perhaps even a queen to not feel resentful when they notice that we went from having Miss Universe’s travel the world to only travelling slightly? Sadly, we couldn’t even give Catriona a proper crown during her reign because I think I can count with my hands the times she wore it. Such an iconic and important symbol for Miss Universes, and she barely got to use it?
She broke it? So what? FIX IT. FIND ANOTHER ONE.
I feel just honestly that MUO dropped the ball so hard this year with her and this upcoming pageant, and this is not actually Catriona’s fault. You want to know when Catriona shines, looks stunning from head to toe, and goes back to the Catriona that did the Lava Walk? When she goes to the Philippines, gets styled there and goes pretty much everywhere because she is the busiest there.
And as opposed to many pageant fans who say that the reason why Catriona’s reign is not what it should have been is because “Catriona is this or that”, that is not an excuse MUO can get behind. Because I have seen Miss Universes with worst public opinions who have had an appropriate reign for a queen. And if
I have to say that it is a complete disrespect to the fans and disregard for the public that Miss Universe took almost a year to pick a venue. And it is even more disrespectful that they put up the tickets 2 weeks before the final event, as if this wasn’t an event where visas have to be arranged and tickets bought. There’s no excuse for something like this, you also pick a venue that won’t probably fit anyone besides a couple thousands. It looks and feels like what it probably is, an event put together at the last minute and that its not what Miss Universe is supposed to be. In two years we will be celebrating the platinum jubilee of this pageant and is anyone even expecting it to be grand or exciting? Cause I am truly not.
If you want to see how far we’ve fallen from grace look at how Miss Universe will have the shortest concentration of all the pageants with just 10 days. And I can assure you, those girls won’t be out of the hotel and most probably we won’t even have glam shots for the first time in ages. The national costume competition appears to have been reduced to a footnote on the Preliminary competition, but it is what it is. Now let’s get on with out review which will serve as Pre-Arrvial/Pre-Preliminary because not only am I lacking desire and time but because to be completely honest the two days that matter here is the preliminary and the final night. You can look a queen for 8 days and if in prelims you can’t deliver you will most probably not get in. So my opinions of these girls have barely changed to be completely honest because I need to see them in the Preliminary competition.
MISS UNIVERSE 2019: THAILAND (Jennifer Paweensuda Saetan-Drouin)
26 Years Old | 5’11 ½” | Speaks English and Thai
Born in Thailand | Raised in Canada
Chinese-Thai mother and a French-Canadian father
Participated in Miss Chinese Cosmos Southeast Asia 2013 and Miss Earth 2017
I think that Paweensuda is one the most obvious choices for the crown, the most expected to snatch the crown for sure. As many of us can remember last year she was in the Miss Universe 2018 pageant taking pictures with the organization, the contestants and even fans. I have to respect her for doing her homework properly because I can assure you if I was a queen promoter and the pageant was in Puerto Rico I can assure you my girl would be there. She is a beautiful woman with this alien-ish eyes that while some people criticize I actually kind of like BUT be warned that to me they look better when she has her hair down when you tie up her hair, especially when it’s in those tight ornamented hairstyles her eyes do look a bit too separate. An interesting thing about her is that without makeup she looks like this cute, young girl; just a beautiful as with makeup but a different beauty. But still Fahsai is a beautiful candidate that is no new to pageantry and has been training for this pageant for a while. She works with the disabled and the underprivileged while also being an athlete which is very good in the backstory department. And to be completely fair her body and catwalk just needed a tad more work and given she’s had months to prepare, I’m sure those are top notch right now. In terms of communication, I did think she needed some work in the area of polishing her ideas and how to sending that message. I’ve heard some of her interviews and while I obviously don’t understand Thai, I do feel she is far more secure in herself when she speaks. Now I will not say that Paweensuda is fake or training to imitate Catriona but I do think that they do have similar paths and they do give a very similar aura. So perhaps there is some sort of inspiration taken from Catriona but I don’t think it is to a point where Fahsai stops being Fahsai. How could this negatively affect her during her evaluations in Miss Universe? Hard to say. Perhaps if the judges see a woman that shares these similarities with Catriona they might feel like “It’s been done before” or perhaps they’ll be like “She’s got it too”. I think it will boil down not only in Fahsai’s choices when performing but also what MUO is looking for this year, maybe they’ll want something similar or maybe something completely different. Personally, there would have to be something major happening for Fahsai to miss that Top 3, both in a logical sense and also my gut.
Now, I am only going to address this once because honestly the only thing to do about this is just to wait and see what happens. So, I think that Miss Universe either really wants Fahsai to win or it simply just wants to screw with everyone enough so we watch the pageant at her expense. I’m not saying that MUO started all of the rumors that have transpired since she won but I do feel they have allowed the rumors to just get worse. Trust me, they could at least post it somewhere something along the lines of “Miss Universe always presents a new crown on the telecast or with blah blah” and this would have blown over. But its been months of negativity towards Fahsai and sometimes I think they are loving it because it will make people talk about the pageant. And no, I don’t mean that MUO has to address every rumor but just like Paula addressed the NC rumor she can address this one. We shall see on the 10 days of competition what will happen with Fahsai. For her final dress I kinda wish she wore either a mix of western and eastern fashion or perhaps a blue dress. And definitively her hair down.
1ST RUNNER UP: PUERTO RICO (Madison Sara Anderson Berrios)
24 Years Old | 5’11” | Speaks English and Spanish
Born in Arizona | Raised in Florida
Puertorrican Mother | American Father
Participated in Top Model of the World 2015, Miss Gwand International 2016, Miss Florida USA 2019
Finally, after so many years my dear Madison will finally grace the Miss Universe stage, and I honestly couldn’t be prouder of my candidate. As some of you may know, I’ve been messaging Madison on a couple of occasions since early 2017 and even got the chance to meet her in person (more on that later). And as everyone knows I have wanted Madison to compete in Miss Universe since Grand (like many in this forum) wasted her and Nicole on runner up placements. I do have to admit that I am way more emotionally invested in this candidate than other Miss PRs, to the point that I find myself no longer excited but actually nervous. While I wanted Kiara, Mariana and Monic to win I didn’t know them personally in any type of way and while I thought Bodine could actually win… I didn’t necessarily think she should. This year is different, this year I’ve gone to prelims, I’ve met her family, I’ve gone to the finals, I’ve gone to meet and greets and I’ll go to the departure. I have tried to find anything I can about her preparation, and defend her on the internet. So I’m unfortunately emotionally invested, and I say unfortunately because I know what will happen if she wins and if she doesn’t. As opposed to what many believe it actually doesn’t mean I’ll find her perfect, it means that I will be over critical and I’ll overanalyze everything. It means that the Duchess will be very bummed out if she doesn’t win and that she will probably have a heart attack if she actually wins (almost puked during MUPR). So if Madison actually wins and you find yourself in the middle of usual pandemonium that happens when we win, remember the Duchess has always been respectful and atleast DM to see if I’m actually alive haha. Now for her chances and what my choices would be if I was her styling let’s get right to it. I think Madison is a very experience candidate and it shows in the way she presents herself and carries herself on stage. The only details I wanted her to change was certain posses she did on swimsuit that I’m sure they have been fixed now. The rest of her performance on stage is something I am not worried about given that that is one her strongest suits. She knows where to step, how to walk, where to look and how to be sexy and friendly in order for her catwalk to be pretty perfect. I am not worried about her interview or final question either because given that she has said she will those in English, I know she will able to express herself very well there. I have also met her which meant that when she recognized me (yes I will always gloat about this) we had a pretty good semi hefty conversation. And the way she carries conversation is pretty good too because is not only about content but also delivery in the interview portion. Everyone who has actually met her in person (and I am talking people who don’t even care about pageants) have all said she is beautiful in person. And I have to say she also has that aura, that aura that leaves kinda like “woah, this girl is good” and to me she actually looks better in person. Like Kiara, I really feel like can win yet I feel that Madison’s experience will make her less likely to make the very few yet important ones she did. I also believe the organization learned from last year and will apply that knowledge this time around so in that sense I am confident. I have to applaud Madison in improving two things that I didn’t think she needed yet I realize it has and will do a great deal of good in Miss Universe. And that is her body and her Spanish and with some classes and a slight breast augmentation I think she did improve some of her scores. And with the Spanish I am happy for her because that was a goal she had and her Spanish has improved tremendously. I don’t know guys I have a feeling about her, a feeling that she wont come down of that Top 5 and to be honest there’s really no reason for her to not make the cut. I hope the organization learned and gave her a proper wardrobe for those ten days (hopefully full of Kriado pieces) and that she will have an amazing gown (Our Achilles’ heel)
Now while I don’t know what will be the final gown and if there will be more that one (some say candidates can only use one but its not like anyone ever listens) I have heard plenty of suggestions. The most talked about colors are Red, Blue, White and Golden which all look good on her yet I have a different idea.
If I was her stylist, I would ask for a gradient pink gown with expensive sheer fabric full of strategic beading with one of her stunning legs (her legs are gorgeous) with a silhouette a la Bella Hadid. With her beautiful blond hair down. I chose a pink gown because during my usual research I realize is one of the least used colors if not the least used, and only like one girl has won in Pink. And also, to me is one of my favorite colors on Madison.
I don’t want white period; it is so overused.
Red and Blue are colors that look absolutely stunning on her but I think that I have seen her in it so much that it won’t wow me once its on stage. Red is Madison’s signature colors and quite frankly she can carry one of the most difficult reds around, but again I have seen her in it for long. Also, we just came out of crowning a woman in red and seeing how many girls got inspired by the lava dress, I wouldn’t be surprised if there at least 15 red dresses on that prelim. Royal blue looks great on her but a blonde in blue is almost expected to be fair, although she could use it for the interview.
Golden is another that sounded a lot given that many people give her nicknames with the color and what not and while I hope she doesn’t go for it, it has potential to be unique. The dress is being made by Luis Antonio and he said that the dress was sent to different parts of the world so my guess would be that it includes some really unique beading. If we are going for gold I hope it’s a form fitting gown with a leg out (slit dresses are easier to walk in anyways) and perhaps a uncommon neckline. In terms of styling they could do like a bright red lip with some soft, simple gold makeup (very holiday glam) and loose yet styled hair.
I DO NOT WANT NUDE LIPS ON ANY GIRL, MOST OF THE TIME THEY LOOK ANEMIC.
2nd RUNNER UP: BRAZIL (Julia Do Vale Horta)
25 Years Old | 5’8” | Speaks Portuguese (BP) & English
Born and Raised in Minais Gerais, Brazil
Brazilian Parents
Previously participated in Miss World Brazil (Twice), Reinado Internacional del Café, Miss Tourism International
To be completely honest I really don’t love Julia and its not because of any specific bad reason, it’s just that its like “Its fine if she gets in, fine if she doesn’t” although I would be VERY surprised if she doesn’t. While Julia is not the most facially stunning, she is just pretty to me, she checks the rest of the boxes to be honest and has that IMG aura. Probably the most IMG of the candidates so I wouldn’t be surprised if she got to this position at all, because to me she is still a pretty complete girl. She probably has THE best body of the whole competition as it is expected from a Miss Brazil and an excellent Brazilian catwalk that will carry her all the way to the Top 10. Her personality is so approachable and girl-next-door that I already know she will become a crowd favorite during her prelim and final. Her communication skill in Portuguese are quite fantastic and I think she has slowly developed her English skill enough to send a message cohesively. She is a journalist who uses her experience as one to work with organizations to empower and help women around Brazil. I think for her evening gown competition they have to capitalize on her approachable, bubbly self instead of trying for sultry or sexy. That’s not Julia, don’t try it. To me she should actually wear something like what the IG pageantsandcarpets because it is a mix of sensual yet sweet. It is honestly one of the best dresses in pageantry and its not even real, that person is full of talent and I would suggest organizations start looking at this person. To summarize I thin Brasil is the most obvious placement from the Americas, I would be extremely surprised if she doesn’t actually get in. She may not be an Oxana Fedorova but she is very on brand with the current administration of Miss Universe, who else is really THIS on brand?
3rd RUNNER-UP: COLOMBIA (Gabriella Tafur Nader)
24 Years Old | 5’10” | Speaks Spanish, Portuguese and English
Born and Raised in Colombia
Colombian Parents of Lebanese Descent
No Prior Experience
So I personally I believe Colombia is back in competition after last year’s happening, and I think she is ready to grab their 3rd crown this year. I have been a heavy fan of Gabriella for months now and she is one of the girls I want for a possible top two with Madison. I think it would be no surprise for her to be in this Top 5 because Colombia is no joke and this year, they did not come to play man. Colombia brought you a woman with face, with body, with catwalk, with communication skill, with an education, an athlete, a musician… I mean, hello. What can you say about Gabriella that will be negative for her in the pageant? Like she is just so complete she is one of the candidates I’m actually worried about and I am really happy Colombia bounced back from last year. This is the type of representative I expect and love to see from one of my favorite countries in this pageant. Like what do I really have to say? The only reason she is not higher on my list because the placements are half what I want and half gut feeling. But oh lord is Colombia going to give a headache, I would say I worry for her interview if I hadn’t seen her security with the microphone. Honestly, I don’t want people acting surprised if the third crown for Colombia comes before the end of the year because she has been letting you know she’s here for months. For her evening gown I am sure the organization will have a fantastic dress for her a la Paulina because Gabriela is probably the closest since 2014 they have been to achieving the top plum. I would like a champagne-ish color with a figure-hugging gown with stunning details all over.
4th RUNNER-UP: VIETNAM (Hoang-Thi Thuy)
27 Years Old | 5’10” | Speaks Vietnamese*
Born and Raised in Vietnam
Vietnamese Parents
No Prior Pageant Experience
Now Hoang-Thi is another girl who I would love to see in a top 2 with Madison, a little nod to the girls who missed the Top 5 just by a hair. I actually looooove this girl and I think that while it is impossible to fill H’hen’s shoes, Hoang-Thi might be able to start a streak for Vietnam. She has pretty good communication skills in Vietnamese but like everyone else I worry that it won’t be translated in English. I don’t want a repeat of last year and honestly, I never want to see that happening to H’hen’s successor too. For the rest of her scores, she obviously has high facial scores because she is simply beautiful and knows how to stand in front of a camera. She has a very nice body, almost a curvier less busty version of Pia’s amazing body so I am not worried for the swimsuit portion. Her catwalk is really good too giving her very high chances in the preliminary competition, hopefully with another stunning gown with a similar hairstyling similar to that of pageantsandcarpets (yes, just go to her/his Instagram). For her backstory she has a pretty solid one, another story of rag to riches and overcoming poverty to achieve your dreams that will certainly touch a lot of people. She studied fashion design and acquire a modeling career, until eventually she reached the crown Miss Universe Vietnam 2019. She also is working with several organizations that deal with female empowerment and building a skillset for them to succeed in the professional and personal fields. So to me Vietnam has the potential to round up that Top 5 but she has to keep alert because she could easily get stuck in the Top 10. She needs to bring her A-Game and stay in the top on every activity.
6th PLACE: IRELAND (Fionnghuala O’Reilly)
26 Years Old | 5’9” | Speaks English
Born in DC, USA and Raised in different cities
African America Mother | Irish Father
Participated in Miss DC USA 2018
Oh Ireland, Ireland… aren’t you sneaky? Oh I almost hate so silently this woman has improved to the point that I think this should be the black beauty that should be crowned. Of course, depending on performance and interview but from what I have seen, Fionnghuala could be an option for the crown. Fionghuala to me doesn’t have like the face of a goddess but she is still a very pretty girl. But it is this confidence she exudes and that gorgeous afro-styling that she has going that makes me unable to keep my eyes off of her. Her photoshoot with Fadil was actually the best of all the Fadil’s shoots, she exudes in them the attitude I want for the Miss Universe. I want her exuding beauty, grace, confidence and absolute fire, the latter two unfortunately many times lacks on the European group. The only weak part that I found on her was her body, I wasn’t a big fan of it but I’ve seen improvement along with the improvements in other areas. I like her styling through her reign varying afroed hairstyles as well as wavy hairstyles and even braids and I think she should have the same variety through the 10 days. I want her to honestly break the stereotypes we have for European candidates and I want her to break the mold of what a Miss Ireland is. To me this woman is what the last 3 Miss USA tried to be, the mixed between portfolio and complete package because this woman has the resume of a lifetime. She is a systems engineer, she has worked with NASA, she has worked with the United Nations, she started a hashtag to empower women and girls in STEM and wants to fight for diversity. She is the first woman of color to win Miss Ireland to me she could make a FANTASTIC torch barrier for Europe and the black beauties this year. For her evening gown I have to take inspiration from pageantsandcarpets again because I think she/he has the right idea, mainly with the color. I WANT COLOR for this woman, bright beautiful colors that are usually not chosen for the stage at Miss Universe. But instead of a sweetheart bodice I would do a sleeveless, backless turtle-neck bodice that closes at the collar with stoning/beading. I want that hair to be big and be the main focus of the presentation because I can assure that she will be a sensation in the media with something like that.
7th PLACE: ALBANIA (Cindy Marina)
21 Years Old | 5’11” | Speaks English and Albanian
Born and Raised in the US
Albanian Parents
No Prior Pageant Experience
So I think Albania needs to be commended for actually being able to maintain her momentum through the months because she was chosen a while ago and she has never stopped being a favorite. She has beauty, body and most than all she has great communication skills in both English and Albanian which will prove to be very beneficial in the interview portion. Her performance skills and her queenly aura will probably make her stand out on the preliminary competition and depending on what she chooses to dress she could look like a queen. In terms of backstory she comes from an Albanian immigrant family full of athletes and has dedicated her life to the sport, has even represented Albania in some competitions. She is also a student of International Relation and Global Business as well as working as a model and of course becoming Miss Universe Albania. She wants to build a business that combines art, fashion and people to educate on the planet’s health and the environment. In terms of backstory she could probably use a bit more in the IMG era but honestly, it’s good enough as it is. I am really excited to see what Albania will bring to Miss Universe and this will be my second spot for Europe.
8th PLACE: CHILE (Geraldine Gonzalez Martinez)
20 Years Old | 5’9 ½” | Speaks Spanish and English
Born and raised in Chile
Chilean Parents
No prior pageant experiences
Now Chile is the only girl that would actually fully go crazy cheering for because Chile is a fantastic candidate who could easily be a good placement for the country. Not only because she is beautiful and has a stunning body but also because she has a good stage presence and communication skills. She has been looking so beautiful these months that I think she could become a headache for many favorites. She has a pretty good resume too given she is not only an immigration lawyer but also a volunteer firefighter. She works with immigrant women to help them have better opportunities at building their own businesses. This in addition to working with AIDS awareness and Smile Train as well as assisting children with socio-economical and family problems. Chile has been in very tumultuous times lately too which I am sure she will be asked about as well as Madison and Julia will, and I think there will be interest from the judges to find out her take on the events. So to me this girl could potentially be in the complete package and a very good choice for the crime even if she is on the younger side. My mother is already a heavy fan (she adopted H’hen last year) which is a big deal because she is very picky with the girls she finds to be potential Miss Universes.
9th PLACE: SOUTH AFRICA (Zozibini Tunzi)
26 Years Old | 5’10” | Speaks English and Xhosa
Born and Raised in South Africa
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Participated in Miss South Africa 2017
So if I am completely honest Zozibini is nowhere near my Top 10 on my personal choices but I do admit that not only has she improved but she also appears to be very well liked. So I think that with the proper styling and good performance on the preliminary she will make the cut and I really feel she will be in that Top 10. Who knows if even higher? I don’t really find her all that but I do think she has some potential for the placement, she seems to have a very good personality and perhaps she will do a better job on stage than her predecessor. She is a woman who is raising awareness about gender-based violence as well as working towards breaking gender norms and stereotypes.
10th PLACE: USA (Cheslie Corrinne Kryst)
28 Years Old | 5’6” | Speaks English
Born and Raised in the USA
African-American Mother | Polish-American Father
Previously competed in Miss North Carolina twice and Miss North Carolina USA twice
Look I am not going to sit here and tell you that Cheslie is a Miss Universe, or a Top 10 placer but I am going to tell you a fact and that is that she will be here. Period point blank. The reality is that despite not being the most beautiful woman she has the communication skills that her predecessors lacked and a resume that makes IMG drool. She is a lawyer with license to practice in two states as well as an athlete, a blogger piano player, she overcame a spinal fracture and its currently a correspondant for ExtraTV. She has had a huge momentum not only for her look in the Miss USA final but because this year she forms part of a predominantly black Team USA. And I am not ignorant to the importance of that achievement, I am happy that they have form this little part of history; so no The Duchess is not THAT cold. Now do I think she will win? Possibly, everything is in place for her to be one of the choices. Do I want her to win? No, but I honestly don’t have the energy nor the desire to say anything ill about her. Mostly because today starts one of the most challenging week of her life and no girl needs added pressure or bad energy these days. So time will tell if our suspicions are true and we will cross that bridge when we get there. As for now we will move on.
11th PLACE: PHILIPPINES (Gazini Christiana Jordi Acopiado Ganados)
23 Years Old | 5’9” | Speaks Filipino & English
Born and Raised in the Philippines
Filipina Mother | Palestinian Father
Participated in Miss World Philippines
Now this is the part where I get shunned from Misso but honestly… I am not feeling Gazini at all anymore and I got to say I wish she would have waited a year. While I do think she has a pretty good resume to present to the MUO in the interview and perhaps even a good stage performance… I have to say she doesn’t give me that feeling. Even with candidates I haven’t wanted to win, I still felt something when I saw them but not Gazini. To me she shouldn’t have been chosen right after Catriona because those are shoes too big to fill, almost impossible to fill. Gazini may have improve her communication skills but she still has a long way, and unfortunately sometimes she looks inconsistent in her styling and it worries me. In cases of possible back to backs I often find myself asking if that specific back to back should happen… and I got to say that in order for Catriona to crown her local successor it had to be someone just as impactful as her or even more. But that’s just me, I do have to say I cannot wait for her evening gown to be presented because after the lava gown I wanna see what’s next.
12th PLACE: FRANCE (Maeva Cocke)
25 Years Old | 5’9 ½” | Speaks French, German & English
Born and Raised in France
French Parents
Participated in Miss World 2018
So Maeva is back and to me she looks much better now than she did in Miss Universe, hopefully her communication skills in English have also. She is a beautiful woman that exudes this aura of elegance and simplicity so I was very surprised she was sent to Miss World in the first place. The only real big problem she had was that her accent was a bit difficult to understand and she couldn’t really express herself. So I am hoping that she has worked on that and that she brings some fire on that catwalk, because I think she is actually looking better this time around. She is a major in International Trade works with organizations that take care of the ill as well as being an advocate for breast cancer awareness. Her mother is a breast cancer survivor. She is also an advocate to ending domestic violence and is working with important members of her country to help that. She enjoys music as well as sports which I think wraps up a very solid resume to present to the MUO. Many have said that because she chose Miss World or because the Miss France said no to both Miss Universe and MW this year, that Maeva will have some kind of consequence for it. I honestly don’t think tht will be the case nor it should be the case. I would love to see how France will do this time around because I had high hopes with her last year.
13th PLACE: INDONESIA (Frederika Alexis Crull)
20 Years Old | 5’7” | Speaks English & Bahasa Indonesia
Born and Raised in Australia
Indonesian Mother | Australian Father
No Prior Pageant Experience
So Indonesia has actually gone down several places in my list given that at the start of my analisis (months ago) she was as high as a top 5 placer but lately she has kind of faded a bit. She has an interesting platform, she wants to help children receive birth certificates given that out of the 230 Million children that are unregistered in the world, Indonesia contributes 10-11% to this issue. Being unregistered, or invisible in your country does bring a lot of potential issues and actual issues; it is actually a very interesting subject. Another important thing is that if Frederika wins, she would actually become the first Muslim Miss Universe. She is also an animal lover and has saved like a 100 dogs throughout her life, that’s always a plus in any resume. I used to like her a lot at the beginning but I don’t know, lately I’m just not that into her so I am hoping that during the competition she gets to wow me again. I think she has the qualities to get into that top 10 with the right performance and we will have to see during the rest of the night. This is one of the girls I have on my watchlist for the preliminaries, because I really want to see how she will do in there.
14th PLACE: ICELAND (Birta Abiba Þórhallsdóttir)
20 Years Old | 5’10” | Speaks Icelandic & English
Born and Raised in Iceland
- * Mother | Icelandic Father
No Prior Pageant Experience
I actually don’t have information on Birta’s mother, all I know is that Birta is biracial
So I actually LOOOVE Iceland from top to bottom, I think she could actually be a silent killer during this upcoming pageant because to me she exudes personality. She is in the young side and looks very young but in a fresh manner that I think will read very well with the judges. She has a beautiful face along with a smile as bright as a star which could be a secret weapon to bring forth on the interview. She suffered from racism while growing in Iceland because of her skin color yet she went on to become the first biracial Miss Universe Iceland. She also tutors children in various subjects including the Icelandic language, as well as volunteering with the Icelandic red cross. She is a history buff and aspires to become an international author, something she might be able to achieve given she has written a full-length novel already. I have a feeling that this girl could come from the background and go really far.
15th PLACE: ARUBA (Danna Garcia)
21 Years Old | 6’0” | Speaks Spanish, Dutch, Papiamento & English
Some sources say she is Colombian by birth and others say she only has Colombian ancestry through her father
No Prior Pageant Experience
I would love for Aruba to be part of the Top 20 as only the third placement for her island and I think Danna is the perfect choice to go in it. She is an advocate for not only physical but also mental health while also being a nurse and a student in her day to day life. She is a beautiful woman with a nice body and good catwalk who to me had one of the crowning looks of the season. She even wore the earrings that Dayana wore with her yellow gown at Miss Universe 2008, and to be honest she just looks beautiful on stage. To me she could be a very fantastic candidate to see on stage and I would really really like a placement for her, with her frame and 6’ of stature she has the potential to look phenomenal on stage.
16th PLACE: INDIA (Vartika Brij Nath Singh)
26 Years Old | 5’7 ½” | Speaks Hindi & English
Born and Raised in India
Indian Parents
Participated in Miss Diva, Femina Miss India 2015, Miss Gwand International 2015
Now Miss India could potentially be a heavy frontrunner in the preliminary competition so I am waiting for that preliminary because I still haven’t recovered from last year. I’m still kinda sad her predecessor did not get into the Top 20, I really thought she was going to go all the way to the Top 10 and even perhaps Top 5. She is a BEAUTIFUL girl, like she has a stunning beauty that places her in first positions in that department and she has this aura of elegance that many cannot match. That’s just a fact. She has a major in Public Health and its an advocate for accessible healthcare works with her hometown’s nutrition mission. She has also founded an organization that helps to bring healthcare to the people who cannot afford it. All of this will read very well. She has an extensive resume both on screen and on print, having worked with designers as well as celebrities and magazines. She could easily go into the Top 10 if she has a styling and catwalk but most importantly, she needs a good interview so she can get in through the Asia/Oceania/Africa group.
17th PLACE: GERMANY (Miriam Rautert)
23 Years Old | 5’5” | German & English
Born in Trinidad and Tobago and Raised in Germany
Half Trinitarian | Half German
No prior pageantry Experience
Germany is the final girl from Europe to enter my list and I have to say this is another girl who I think could become a very deserving placer from the region. She obviously has a very different look from our idea of what a German should look like, and you know I love those types of candidates. To me, she has a very soft type of beauty and I cannot deny that I love the fact that she looks a little Latina. She has a double bachelors in Business Communication and Journalism and is a petite model who wants to be an advocate for petite models who are often overlooked in the industry. She is also currently writing a book inspired by the life of her trinitarian grandmother. I think that with the proper styling she could be one of the spots for Europe, which is actually rather competitive this year.
18th PLACE: HAITI (Gabriela Clesca Vallejo)
26 Years Old | 5’8 ½” | Speaks English, Spanish, French & Creole
Born in the Dominican Republic and Raised in Haiti and Canada
Dominican Mother | Haitian-Congolese Father
Participated in Miss Supranational 2014 and Miss Universe Canada 2017
This is another Caribbean lady that I feel could have the potential to make big waves in Atlanta if styled correctly and if she can perform on the catwalk. I love her look and I love the way her hair looks because the shape is rather different than USA or Ireland and to be it’s the perfect shape for her face. She has beautiful lips and this kind of tomboy look in some of her pictures that I really like, specially the picture with the satin pink suit. It sets her apart and gives her a very distinctive look amongst the other girls, hopefully she will keep something similar during her stay in Atlanta. She has a double bachelor’s degree in Civil Law and International Development. She is also a dancer in many styles and volunteers with teaching children as well as raising awareness against child abuse and domestic violence. She has aspirations in both writing and politics. To me, she just seems like she has the potential to become a very interesting candidate in the coming days, and I just really hope they provided her with not only a proper wardrobe and a fantastic evening gown. She could look fantastic on that final night. I don’t know, I’m just really into this girl and I’m very intrigued to see what she brings to the game.
19TH PLACE: BARBADOS (Shanel Ifill)
20 Years Old | 6’0” | Speaks English
Born and raised in Barbados
Barbadian parents
No known prior Pageant Experience
Barbados is the black barbie of this edition and I cannot wait to see her in that preliminary because she is beautiful and has a stunning body. She will be such a hit in that swimsuit presentation if she has a catwalk that can set that stage on fire, and given that she is 6’ and photographs like a tower her evening gown presentation has lots of potential. She is a law student working as an intern in a law firm as well as being a model taking part in many international campaigns. She was diagnosed with Scoliosis and had subsequent surgeries to fix it and now she is an advocate to raise awareness for children suffering this same condition. She is also a volunteer tutor and through her law career wants to become a Human Rights lawyer and to be employed in the United Nations.
20TH PLACE: BAGLADESH (Shirin Akter Shila)
20 Years Old | - | Speaks Bangla, Hindi & English
Born and Raised in Bagladesh
Haven’t found in formation on her parents
Participated in Miss World Bagladesh, Face of Bagladesh and Face of Asia
So everyone has gone basically bananas since Bangladesh was crowned and we saw the first pictures because of what seems to be an undeniable beauty. Now I am not saying she isn’t a very pretty girl, but the only moment I was really taken a back to the point of seeing a Top 5er was in her crowning. The rest of her pictures tell me that she will place but I am still undecided as to where exactly she will end up next week. I haven’t seen any pictures of her in swimsuit so I don’t have much of an idea of her body, but again in the coming days we will see. She does have a pretty decent file to show IMG/MUO given that she is the first representative for her country and she is also a student of Physics. She is also an aspiring philanthropist and media persona and works with the elderly volunteering in senior centers. She cooks, plays badminton and also dances and is part of a program that plants trees to help with the environment which is something she is very passionate about. So I am intrigued to see what this girl will bring to the competition but for now I think she can place. We shall keep an eye on this girl.
ASIA/PACIFIC & AFRICA: THAILAND, VIETNAM, SOUTH AFRICA, INDONESIA, PHILIPPINES
AMERICAS: PUERTO RICO, BRAZIL, COLOMBIA, CHILE, USA
EUROPE: IRELAND, ALBANIA, FRANCE, GERMANY, ICELAND
WILDCARDS: BAGHLADESH, HAITI, BARBADOS, ARUBA, INDIA