#10) Maria Fernanda Aristizábal (Colombia/UNIVERSE). She may have lost her shot to Laura Olascuaga due to 2020’s national license shift, but all roads still led her to the Universe. Call it fate or divine timing, but it’s a thrill to see her claiming her spot. It’s proof that she truly belonged on that stage, even if she missed the Final Five.
#9) Ashley Ann Cariño (Puerto Rico/UNIVERSE). Well, she lost her shot at being the first Miss Universe to go to space. But she’s now the first former Miss USA contestant to place that high on the global stage wearing a different sash. In the process, she also surpassed the placements of both her Puerto Rican predecessor and the American who beat her in her previous nationals. Perhaps, she can blast off with those credentials instead. Given her aerospace engineering background, that’s still highly probable – in this “Chamber of Time”.
#8) Mina Sue Choi (Korea/MISS EARTH 2022). Miss Earth’s returned to live staging with a bevy of tough contenders and, quite honestly, anyone from that Top Four could have won. On surface level, crowning this nuna felt like the smart choice, given the Pinoys’ affinity towards Korean culture. But apart from her powerful presentations, her interviews were unlike nothing we’ve heard in recent pageants – substantial, yet still conversational and unrehearsed. A regal titleholder is one thing, but an approachable one is a rare find.
#7) Tatiana Calmell (Peru/UNIVERSE). Peruvian placements in Miss International have always been far in between. To be exact, only six have made the cut since 1960 – strange, considering her nation’s peculiar ties with Japan. With this model’s entry, however, a status quo shake-up felt due. With her “on-brand” face and on-point appearances, she was her country’s best shot yet. Alas, despite the apparent last-minute shift back to formula, she settled with 2nd Runner-Up. Whatever the case, National Director Jessica Newton’s on a roll.
#6) Sheridan Mortlock (Australia/EARTH). Host James Deakin spoke for everyone when he said onstage “I didn’t know Taylor Swift was competing”. To which she, aware of the comparisons, gamely responded: “I’m the Australian version”. Since Jennifer Hawkins won Miss Universe 2004, no other damsel from Down Under looked so crown-worthy. Yet, in one of most competitive final rounds in Miss Earth history, this international relations student settled with another Elemental finish. Chock it down to being sent in the wrong year, but at least a tiara landed on her head.
#5) Andreina Martinez (Dominican Republic/UNIVERSE). COVID-19 ended her Miss Universe 2021 journey before it began, but what followed was in perfect timing. She came roaring back a year and a month later, not just to make up for lost time, but to conquer in New Orleans. The extended prep served her well and made her more focused, as she eased into the revamped criteria. She was indestructible. And, in what felt like an all-star battle where at 30 women could have won the crown, her 2nd Runner-Up finish was worth the delay.
#4) Gabriela dos Santos (Curaçao/UNIVERSE). This Brazilian-Surinamese model went through a similar ordeal as France’s 2021 representative Clemence Botino. She arrived in New Orleans COVID-positive and had to spend a few days in quarantine. Luckily, that setback did little to hinder her chances, and she rejoined the race unfazed and every bit in fighting form. While she didn’t surpass Anne Marie Braafeid’s 1968 landmark feat, her Top Five placement is now a major highlight. With her achievement, she also brought honor to her mother’s homeland, which last competed in 1999.
#3) Lalela Mswane (South Africa/MISS SUPRANATIONAL 2022). Fresh from her 2nd Runner-Up finish in Miss Universe 2021, a crossover was the last thing fans expected. But when she was announced as the Rainbow Nation’s Supra-candidate six months later, we expected nothing less. Much to our general thrill, she upped her A-game even more, channeling an unbeatable goddess, as opposed to her previous run, where she was deemed a dark horse at best. With her triumph, she’s now the first black woman to wear the Miss Supranational crown. It’s a milestone well overdue.
#2) Amanda Dudamel (Venezuela/UNIVERSE). It bears repeating: It’s strange this powerhouse hasn’t won a major pageant in the 2020s. So, when this fashion designer was sent to New Orleans, the expectations were intense. On all counts, she was more than qualified, and for a while there, she seemed ready to reclaim the Miss Universe title for her country after nine years. But it simply was a rigorous battle. And, in that battle of champions, this “Designer of Dreams” settled for second place (just like in this countdown). In a way, her narrative mirrors 1998’s Veruska Ramirez, a spot-on, crown-worthy contender who simply had fun onstage, then yielded to a more headstrong adversary (who happened to be in that panel). She may not have grabbed the title, but she’s as unforgettable as it gets.
#1) R’Bonney Gabriel (USA/MISS UNIVERSE 2022). With the controversy that mired her national win now behind her, this Texan fashion designer arrived “next door” with greater pressure. Coming from the State with most Miss USAs, which is in turn located in the country with the most Miss Universe titles, it’s a colossal task to uphold that legacy – more so, to enhance it. It wasn’t going to be smooth. She entered the competition with the “Holy Trinity” of Venezuela, Colombia, and Philippines leading oddsmakers’ lists and, face it, more often than not, Americans tend to be default picks rather than perpetual crown favorites here. Come preliminaries, however, it was evident that she did the work. She went donned bold statements (“If not now, when?”) and the most fashion-forward frocks ever paraded onstage. At that point, the trinity felt shakable. She wasn’t just there to compete. She was there to win.
By finals night, it was simply one mic-drop moment after the other. In her Top Five interview, she called for the raising of the age limit, given that she was already 28, something that wouldn’t have been possible if the qualifications weren’t tweaked in 2017. In a matter of minutes, that barrier would be broken anew. After claiming her Final Three slot, she embodied the “transformational leader” persona that the new owners are searching for, and it was a brilliant strategy to use those buzz words. The battle was over.
With her crowning, she’s now the ninth American, second Texan, and first Fil-Am to capture the Miss Universe title. Surely, with a Queen like her, widening that lead shouldn’t hurt. As the inaugural winner of this new era, that’s how she’ll likely be remembered – as a Queen who uses her title, not just fashion, as a force of good.
Planet Chuckie 