One of the pressures that a Filipina candidate can have is that strong demand of the fans and the general public for the best outcome. As such, every move, every photo, every wardrobe, every interview will all be closely followed and a slight mistake could lead into a relentless online assault. That’s how passionate the Filipinos are when it comes to beauty pageants.
There is no doubt that both Megan and Ariella felt the pressure from their fans. Both got scathing criticisms from Filipinos for their choice of gown. At Miss World 2013, Megan used a gown by Francis Libiran which was pale pink mermaid style in tulle. The sequins were arranged to allude to the beautiful corals of the Philippines. Unfortunately, most of the Filipino fans were not happy with it. For them, it makes the waist of Megan look too wide and the design lacks sexiness on it. There was even a petition on the Missosology forum to change the finals night gown of Megan.
Ariella on the other hand was also subjected to criticisms with her yellow Alfredo Barraza gown. Some fans even claimed that the design is far from being original showing a page from a Barraza catalog with a red variant of Ariella’s gown. They also complained that the designer of the gowns for Filipina contestants should be a Filipino.
The criticisms against these two beautiful gowns however ran afoul with the opinions of the people in the know. Consider Nick Verreos’ comments about Megan’s gown:
Miss World 2013 Megan Young “Miss Philippines”: Megan looked resplendent in her light rose-pink mermaid style gown in tulle with sequin applique. The gown was designed by Filipino designer Francis Libiran, who had a stint on America’s Next Top Model and in fact Tyra has worn one of his designs. The gown was one of the best of the night; it fit perfectly, looked expensive and well made and yes, all that she was missing was the crown!
Truth can be told that the conservative approach of the Libiran gown was actually a form of respect to Indonesia. Megan also stood out with her gown and when in motion, it actually showed off her phenomenal figure.
Meanwhile, Nick Verreos did like Ariella’s gown. He wrote this in his blog :
I liked her bright neon yellow/chartreuse gown from Colombian couturier Alfredo Barraza, but more importantly I was thrilled she wore her hair down and straight.
At an any given day, the words and wisdom of Nick Verreos will simply prevail over the fashion critics wannabe on the internet. Ariella’s gown actually did put her in the Top 5 and in short, Filipinos should thank Barazza for the country’s four year Top 5 steak. The yellow gown of Ariella stood out. The cut helped put more definition on Ariella’s body figure. The overall design also did make her look statuesque.
Criticizing the gowns of the Filipina beauty queens in front of your computer screen is easy. However, things could actually look different in real life. The criticisms that were hurled against these gowns were proven to be as outright wrong because the results justifies the means. Of course, we need to respect any criticisms but what we can’t respect are the overblown/exaggerated actions by some people who would raise a petition and hurl tirades against the designers and national organizers. The Filipino fans should take a chill pill and simply enjoy the fact that their country is enjoying its best years in the world of pageantry.
