Today’s #FashionFridays post is all about five standout haute couture gowns that, if re-imagined creatively, would be standout pageant gowns.

I have been complaining (okay to some extent, whining) about the lack of fashion-forwardness of pageant gowns used in the Philippines. And unlike the exorbitant and crazy pageant gowns used in Miss Venezuela, the pageant gowns used in Binibining Pilipinas or Miss Philippines Earth are still a far-cry. In order to help feed the creative juices of our designers, I listed down 5 Spring-Summer 2018 gowns from haute couture shows that could easily be a good pageant gown if they are interpreted correctly. While this list may show you photos of the gowns, I do suggest that you try to look for the actual shows on the internet and see them in motion.

1. Ralph & Russo – this black velvet gown with draping that evokes those of Charles Frederick Worth or Charles James makes any pageant girl a bombshell… a true “Jessica Rabbit” or Marilyn Monroe with a dash of a red lip. Of course avoid the mistake that Demi Leigh Nel-Peters in doing one in lime green velvet (that didn’t photograph well on her). Imagine this in rich saturated jewel colors of red, purple and deep indigo blue. Throw in some opera gloves and you get old world sex appeal in spades.

2. Valentino – if you wanna go the “showstopper route”, then you gotta wear something in red. And nobody does red like Valentino. This ballgown in layers of silk organza would just be eye-popping on-stage. It moves as you walk, it brings tons of drama and it will be perfect for those perpetually tanned. Just a little bit of editing on the silhouette, especially on the upper torso and you will have a fabulous gown for any pageant.

3. Armani Privé – it’s silk, it’s ombré, it’s beaded, but more importantly it’s Armani. Nobody knows sartorial elegance as well as Giorgio Armani and this gown brings a healthy dose of that. What makes this design standout is how very on-trend satin gowns are for this season. If you can imagine this in a negligé / serpentine silhouette with ombré effects then you can see how this would be a good pageant gown. More so if you do it in shades of pink, purple and blush… the dash of purple being the 2018 color of the year would make it more modern.

4. Christian Dior – Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior collection may seem lackluster but her homage to Surrealism and Dali offers several gems. This optical illusion gown is just one of those that can be mined for pageant gowns. It can create optical shapes and curves, it can make you look taller and more statuesque, it can be an eye-popper. This type of black & white gown has been successful for Andreina Goetz, Carolina Gomez and Lola Odusoga in Miss Universe… all of whom made at least top 6.

5. Zuhair Murad – yes I know it’s a caftan gown but hey look at how transparency and feathers are cleverly translated into the design. Plus no more of those tacky lace applique’s! Instead it relied on beadwork and embroidery to add something new to the transparent gown trend that has been overdone in pageants.
For designers and pageant girls out there, if some of these designers sound new to you, I encourage you to look at their work to get a feel of the latest trends in fashion. Aside from these names, I also prompt you to look at designers like Marchesa, Oscar de la Renta, Monique Lhuillier and Carolina Herrera for more inspiration.
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