Beauty Pageants, a peek behind the scene in Oslo, Norway, 2009

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Cheryl Marie Cordeiro visiting the Norwegian Miss Model of the World and Miss Tourism Queen International pageant in Oslo, Norway, 2009. Red coat by Patrizia Pepe.
Photo for CMC by: Jan-Erik Nilsson © 2009.

A while back I got a call from pageant organizer Peter Hadward in Stockholm, Sweden. He is the national director and franchise owner of most of the beauty pageants there are in Scandinavia. After successfully having “done it all” in the entertainment industry in the 1980s and 90s, he has now settled for the challenging task of coaching young women towards fame and glory in the fashion industry.

During the talk Peter mentioned the upcoming international pageants of Miss Model of the World (MMW) and Miss Tourism Queen International (TQI) that were to be held in Oslo, Norway in early March 2009. He also mentioned the possibility that I could come along and coach a small group of Swedish girls through a real pageant.

The girls would participate outside the real Norwegian competition, but would be allowed to appear on stage and would be modelling sponsored designer dresses
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Beauty Pageants, a peek behind the scene
1 – Dressing and outfit

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Natasha showing the dress that later actually is worn by the winner

Natasha, the head stylist, shows the dress that later actually was worn by one of the the winners
Photo for CMC by: Jan-Erik Nilsson © 2009.

The trip up to Oslo from Gothenburg was some four hours of relaxed travelling. The roads were good and were being improved along the way as we travelled towards a more and more wintry landscape in southern Norway. We arrived at about 2 pm and after checking in at the Clarion Hotel Royal Christiania, the first thing was to meet up with Peter and his styling team, and to send the girls off to their various appointments.

Clarion Hotel Royal Christiania is one of Oslo’s most modern and comfortable first-class hotels, and is located at the very heart of Oslo. It was a very good choice and was a very pleasant stay. Though we were early, the atmosphere at the meeting place was electric, with the styling team on location and already at work! Continue reading “Beauty Pageants, a peek behind the scene
1 – Dressing and outfit” →

Beauty Pageants, a peek behind the scene
2 – Hair and Make-up

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Natasha at work, in the hair and make-up room for the girls.
Photo for CMC by: Jan-Erik Nilsson © 2009.

After selecting the gowns and being properly fitted, the girls were off to do their hair and make-up. The styling team on location had superb energy and focus, working several hours to get all the girls ready for the event.

The waiting time for hair and make-up gave a pleasant opportunity for the girls to socialize, network and do some girl-talk!
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2 – Hair and Make-up” →

Beauty Pageants, a peek behind the scene
3 – Stage Rehersal

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CMC coaching and giving pageant tips to Katarina (left) and Minna (center) just before the event at Sirkus, Oslo, Norway, 2009.
Photo for CMC by: Jan-Erik Nilsson © 2009.

1. Rehearsal begins

When the dresses were all set, the make-up and hair stylists were done, we proceeded to the event arena, which in this case was Sirkus, the largest club in Oslo which could seat 1,100 guests. Appearing in front of that many people would be scary for anyone. However it now turned out that the seats were distributed over several floors, so the show would be less intimidating for the girls than we initially had feared.
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3 – Stage Rehersal” →

Beauty Pageants, a peek behind the scene
4 – Crowning and After-Party!

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The bartenders were not about to be upstaged by the girls; they offered a brilliant show of their own bartender tricks, juggling bottles, glasses and blenders.
Photo JE Nilsson CM Cordeiro-Nilsson © 2009.

Around 10 pm the crowd started to pour in. The photography crews settled in and representatives from print newspapers as well as on-line journals started to appear and introduced themselves. The lights flashed and the sound checks punched holes in the ambience once in awhile. Girl friends, boyfriends, talent scouts and the hot and successful of the clubbing crowd milled around, settling in the VIP areas and the bought tables.

It wasn’t before long that the music was pumping to a vigorous dance beat and the DJ created new sound waves that got the crowd on their feat before the event began. Everything with the show was rehearsed and planned by now. The second stylist crew was on site and they were busy re-tangling any hair that the rehearsal could have untangled. Continue reading “Beauty Pageants, a peek behind the scene
4 – Crowning and After-Party!” →

A mix and match of office wear: Patrizia Pepe, Karen Millen, Mango (MNG) and Wolford

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Short grey wool coat from Patrizia Pepe. Red cardigan by Karen Millen.
Photo for CMC by: Jan-Erik Nilsson © 2009.

Outdoors today is as much grey as what I am wearing in this post, though my mood is distinctly chirpier than the frightful weather outside.

In this office mix ensemble, I am wearing a short grey wool coat from Patrizia Pepe over an intensively red, short cardigan by Karen Millen.

Patrizia Pepe is one of my favourite designers, especially for outerwear such as coats and jackets. The clean lines in the design and the crisp, clever cutting of material allows for Patrizia Pepe’s outerwear pieces to sit well on the shoulders – details in design and make that I much appreciate when it comes to outerwear.

The cardigan can be worn in a variety of styles, unhooked and open in the front or hooked closed and the tassels tied twice around the underbust to produce a kimono effect.

In this ensemble, I’ve tied the tassles short on their own on each side and hooked up the front. I’m into all things draped at the moment, not being too much a fan of squared-off, stiff and padded shoulders, so the soft slopes and ruched shoulders of this short cardigan suits my look mood perfect.

The red short cardigan is on top of a grey bodysuit by Wolford and the pants belong to part of a pantsuit by Mango, MNG, purchased in Singapore. This pantsuit is something I’ve owned for several years now since I began executive work. A quick browse through my wardrobe also indicates that I’ve so far favoured pantsuits over skirt suits.

Meeting early spring in shades of white

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Cheryl Marie Cordeiro, early spring 2009 in shades of white

In shades of white in early spring, against a clear blue sky.
Pictures taken for Bengt Enrique at I LVOE LV

It’s when you meet clear blue skies in the still biting cold of winter that you know spring’s along its way now. The temperatures will continue to pendulate between plus and minus degrees but the sunlight is showing itself more these days, with the days getting longer. A change in season is what I’m looking forward to and one that I welcome. Continue reading “Meeting early spring in shades of white” →

Diane von Furstenberg, fashion to boost our spirits!

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Diane von Furstenberg’s theme for autumn / winter 2009 was Nomad. Photo: Marcio Madeira.

I think attitude plays an important role in one’s life and a myriad of reactions from different individuals can arise from a single event or happening. In these bleak and troubled times in the fashion industry as reported by The New York Times, many collections out there will reflect the sub-conscious thoughts of the designers and people in the industry. Whether one is optimistic or pessimistic, hopeful or not for the times, it’s all depicted and seen in the AW RTW 2009 collections. Continue reading “Diane von Furstenberg, fashion to boost our spirits!” →

Recession fashion, relaxed drapes in lean lines

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Donna Karan, Autumn / Winter RTW 2009. Picture: Style.com/p>

In On the Street | Fashion Barometer, Bill Cunningham wondered about the impact of the financial crisis on world fashion – what kind of silhouettes and hemlines would we witness in the upcoming season/s that would reflect the times?

I think women these days, more than previous years, would be more conscious about what they’re choosing to buy. Michael Kors, commenting in the New York Times Multimedia said that, “…right now, even the most extravagant woman is putting on her smart cap…my customer is more pragmatic than she has been” He noticed black being sold in his Florida stores where normally, he wouldn’t sell black in Florida because “she thinks she can wear it more than once, she’s afraid of buying something that is a quick toss”. He also noted that women these days would prefer purchasing pieces that can be put together and re-ensembled easily with what they already have in their wardrobes because if it’s expensive, the customer these days thinks about it, tries it on and is smarter about her purchases. Continue reading “Recession fashion, relaxed drapes in lean lines” →

In a tartan dress by Karen Millen

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Freezing cold! Things you do for fashion!

Dark tartans give me the impression of a mellow festive feeling, a feeling of comfort. I’m quite a fan of Karen Millen because the cutting of the clothes seem to fit nicely on my frame. Well perhaps not all items would sit well on my frame, but most do and that’s enough to keep me going back to the shop. Continue reading “In a tartan dress by Karen Millen” →