SASHES AND TIARAS.....Binibining Pilipinas 2018 Finals EVENING GOWN RECAP: My TOP TEN Favorites!

Crowned Beauty--Contestant No. 20 Catriona Elisa Gray wins Binibining Pilipinas 2018 and gets crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2018 by last year's winner Rachel Peters, Smart Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City 

Photos courtesy of Rappler.com, Binibining Pilipinas Facebook

Last Sunday was the Crowning Night of the 2018 Binibining Pilipinas Beauty Pageant. I have been traveling--and in London--very busy showcasing my latest "NV Nick Verreos" Spring 2018 line for QVC UK so I haven't had the chance to do my GOWN RECAP of the Finals until now! The very prestigious pageant was won by the beautiful Catriona Elisa Gray who bested 39 other beauties for the top prize in Filipina Beauty Pageants. Catriona was a favorite for the top crown from the minute she signed on to compete so it came as no surprise that she won...

My BEST IN GOWNS??? Keep reading...

Other international representatives were crowned during the 2018 Binibining Pilipinas Beauty pageant including Michele Gumabao Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2018 (2nd from left), Eva Psychee Patalinjug Binibining Pilipinas Grand International 2018 (3rd from left), Maria Ahtisa Manalo Binibining International 2018 (4th from right), Jehza Mae Huelar Binibining Pilipinas Supranational 2018 (3rd from right), and Karen Gallman Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2018 (2nd from right)

Catriona Gray, the new Miss Universe Philippines 2018, during the Grand Coronation Finals of Binibining Pilipinas 2018

The 24-year-old 5' 10" (1.78 m) tall Filipina-Australian Catriona Gray is a television host and model and no stranger to competing in international pageants; she won the Miss World Philippines title two years ago and competed in the Miss World 2016 Pageant, where she placed as a Top 5 Finalist...

Miss World Philippines, Catriona Gray during the Miss World 2016 Pageant

At this year's Binibining Pilipinas 2018, Catriona bagged several top awards including:

Best in National Costume--wearing a Singkil Princess Costume designed by Jearson Demavivas--the ensemble was dramatic, regal and rich-looking

Best in Swimsuit--Catriona also won the "Best in Swimsuit" award. While I thought she looked great, I just wasn't a fan of those swimsuits!! Seriously WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE BUST PADS??!!!! #BAD

And now...THE EVENING GOWNS RECAP! 

Best in Long Gown--The Top 25 contestants in the Binibining Pilipinas 2018 Beauty Pageant got the change to "Glam It Up" for the Long Gown Competition. The contestants donned colorful and very glittery gowns created by some of the top Filipino fashion designers showcasing the country's design talent.

 Eventually, Contestant No. 20--yes, Catriona Gray (third from right)--also won the Best in Long Gown Award for what she wore. 

So....let's begin my TOP TEN BEST IN GOWNS, beginning with my FAVORITE...

1. Contestant No. 20 Catriona Gray--Catriona wore this gorgeous gold/nude gown for the Finals. The dress was designed by Mak Tumang. According to the designer, the gown was created using muted gold paillettes encrusted with more than 10,000 Swarovski crystals. The nude illusion back was inspired by the "splatter of the waves" of the Phillipine Island's coasts. I thought this was a perfect gown for Catriona and very on-trend with what all the top pageant queens are wearing. The fit was superb and the golden shimmer was striking on stage.
Score: 9.85

I also LOVED...

Catriona's "Three Stars and the Sun" earring cuff, created by Tessara Jewelry. She said that she wanted to add a "patriotic" touch and was inspired by the stars and sun in the Philippine flag. 

2. Contestant No. 14 Samantha Mae Bernardo--This gown worn by Samantha Bernardo was my second favorite gown of the night. She wore this canary yellow colored creation featuring thousands of dégradé crystals going from light to heavy toward the hem. The gown also had a sweetheart neckline and fit-and-flare shape. I thought the design was elegant and impacting and definitely a style that would have worked on a top red carpet such as the Oscars as well. I also loved the perfect length and the fact that I couldn't see those DARN NUDE PLATFORM PUMPS (I'm not a fan!). But, yes, my favorite part was the dramatic built-in cape; so regal and Diva Fab.
Score: 9.75

3. Contestant No. 19 Michele Theresa Gumabao--I'm a big fan of a chic one shoulder dress and this was no exception. I loved this one shoulder yellow gown worn by Michele Gumabao, which featured coral and silver crystal embellishment beautifully placed throughout the dress. The fit was on-point (look at that perfect length!) and looked so sleek on her. I also liked how she wore her hair in a great chignon and kept the jewelry to just simple pretty earrings. Michele looked rich and above it all.
Score: 9.60

4. Contestant No. 38 Karen Juanita Gallman--In 4th position is this red sequined gown worn by Karen Gallman. This was THE DEFINITION of a PERFECT RED GOWN...especially for a Beauty Pageant! The fit-and-flare silhouette was stunning and had strong stage impact. The long train added drama and in addition, I loved the torso details and neckline. Karen looked beautiful and ready to take a top crown in this...and she did, winning the Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2018 sash and tiara!
Score: 9.55

5. Contestant No. 31 Jehza Mae Huelar--At No. 5 is this golden sequined design worn by Jehza Huelar. The well-fitting gown was exquisite in its design and mermaid-like shape, but what i really loved were the cascading insets at the bottom which gave the gown fabulous movement and interesting structure.
Score: 9.50

6. Contestant No. 11 Maria Andrea Abesamis--Maria Andrea wore this mermaid-shaped gown featuring powder blue, silver, white and gold crystals, some in a 3-D flower applique design. I liked how the lightly colored sequined embellishment looked over the nude crinoline base and I especially liked the back cascading drapes and folds. The gown was very Pageant Fab and had enough interesting detail to keep a fashionista like myself interested.
Score: 9.40 

7. Contestant No. 23 Ena Louis Velasco--This was one of the prettiest nude/blush-style gowns in Sunday night's pageant. The delicately beaded dress fit beautifully and looked great on Ena. I especially liked the lilac and pink colored crystals mixed in with the silver ones, creating a gorgeous image at the upper torso.
Score: 9.35

8. Contestant No. 3 Murielle Adrienne Orais--Murielle wore this white sequined gown featuring criss-cross beaded design, encrusted crystal trim, an illusion top neckline, and a center front slit. The white-over-nude coloring was impacting onstage and a nice change from all the other very colorful (or golden) gowns and looked impacting on her. I also liked her styling--the elegant chignon and simple earrings. If I had any critique, I thought the gown was a bit short and like I have said before, I'm not a fan of those nude platform pumps, especially when we can actually see them; she should have worn nude or silver strappy NON PLATFORM heels, and if she did, the length of the gown would have been perfect!
Score: 9.20

9. Contestant No. 17 Maria Ahtisa Manalo--Maria won the 2nd place sash and crown of Binibining Pilipinas International and was a top favorite during the pageant. She wore this bubblegum pink colored gown with a side front slit and back attached overskirt. Even though--in terms of design--this wasn't an earth-shaking gown; this wasn't necessarily Pageant COUTURE...but I loved the color and pretty beading in the front torso. I also thought she looked like a Pageant Doll with her perfectly curled center-front parted hairstyle. She'll do well at Miss International in Japan this upcoming Fall.
Score: 9.05

10. Contestant No. 7 Sigrid Grace Flores--Sigrid wore this golden strapless gown that onstage, sparkled to no end; she looked stunning! During the Long Gown Catwalk, she showed it with an iridescent organza coat which she wisely removed for the rest of the pageant. While I really wasn't a fan of the pointy bust edges, the rest of the gown was so impacting that I almost forgot they were there.
Score: 9.00

And a GOWN BONUS...

Contestant No. 37 Patrizia Mariah Garcia--I wanted to add Patrizia and the gown she wore at Binibining Pilipinas 2018 for various reasons: First, there was really no other gown that was so over-the-top Pageant Fabulous; I also thought the sequined applique was unique and the feathered bottom section gave it a Couture-like air in terms of design.
Score: 8.99
But more importantly, I really liked it because it actually reminded me of one of the gown sketches I did for my "Pageant Coloring Book":

Sequined and Feathered Couture Queen--Sketch from my "Pageant Coloring Book"

CONGRATULATIONS to Catriona, the newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines and to all the other beautiful winners--and CONGRATULATIONS to the Binibining Pilipinas Organization for a wonderful pageant!

...And Don't Forget about my "The Pageant Coloring Book" where you can create your VERY OWN Evening Gown Competition using my Fashion Illustrations! Click HERE to Purchase: