Lupita Jones

All posts tagged Lupita Jones

Miss Universe 2010: The night of Ximena Navarrete and the start of a decade of memorable finals for the Philippines

Posted by Norman on April 15, 2020
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

LAS VEGAS – AUGUST 23: Miss Mexico 2010, Jimena Navarrete (L), reacts as she is crowned the 2010 Miss Universe by 2009 Miss Universe Stefania Fernandez during the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant at the Mandalay Bay Events Center August 23, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS – AUGUST 23: 2010 Miss Universe Jimena Navarrete of Mexico, arrives at the after party for the 2010 Miss Universe pageant at the LAX Nightclub at the Luxor Resort & Casino August 23, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS – AUGUST 23: The top five finalists (L-R) Miss Philippines 2010, Venus Raj, Miss Ukraine 2010, Anna Poslavska, Miss Jamaica 2010, Yendi Phillipps, Miss Australia 2010, Jesinta Campbell, and Miss Mexico 2010, Jimena Navarrete, appear during the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant at the Mandalay Bay Events Center August 23, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Navarrete went on to be crowned the new Miss Universe. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Photo by Alejandro Godinez/Clasos.com/LatinContent via Getty Images

2010 may have been the year Mexico won its second Miss Universe crown, but it is also an edition worth remembering for all Filipinos worldwide because it started the decade of its two memorable wins and string of top placements. Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2010 Venus Raj placed 4th Runner-Up here.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here because the main focus is still on Ximena Navarrete who brought so much pride and joy to her country the way her National Director Lupita Jones did back in 1991.

…” Navarrete was born and raised in Guadalajara, the capital city of Jalisco, Mexico to a middle-class family. She is one of two children, born to Carlos Navarrete a dentist (He is from Sahuayo, Michoacán), and Gabriela Rosette, a house wife. She has one younger sister. She began modeling locally at the age of sixteen, and studied nutrition at the Valle de Atemajac University, prior to taking part in the world pageant…

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

During her reign, Ximena made at least fourteen (14) official foreign trips (excluding her several ones to the US and back to Mexico) and that made her one of the more well-traveled winners of the crown. She also became a spokesperson for L’Oreal and Old Navy, while raising awareness for Children International, a U.S.-based humanitarian organization helping over 12,000 poor children in her hometown of Guadalajara.

But it was in 2013 when Ximena made her debut on the small screen. She starred as the female lead in “La Tempestad” opposite William Levy. This was followed by another lead role in 108 Costuras two years later. It was around this time when she started dating Mexican businessman Juan Carlos Valladares. And on April 1, 2017, the two of them were married in a well-attended ceremony at the Capilla del Colegio de San Ignacio de Loyola in Mexico City. This was followed by a lavish reception at the Ex-convento de San Hipolito.

Ximena and husband JC Valladares
(Photo by Servando Gomez Camarillo/Getty Images)

Our Miss Universe 2010 remains happily married to Juan Carlos. She continues to have a career in Mexican/Latin American showbusiness. She is still a sought-after commercial model and endorser. And she just turned 32 last February 22 – looking just as young and beautiful as the night she won the crown. Just check out the month-old video below.

On the fate of Miss Universe Philippines 2020

Posted by Norman on April 13, 2020
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , .

As you may be aware of by now, talks in pageant circles point only to the appointment of last year’s First Runner-Up as representative to Miss Universe 2020. But since it will not be applicable to the Miss Universe Philippines Organization – this being their inaugural year – the pillars are still weighing things and discussing options on how to tackle the subject matter.

I briefly chatted with National Director Shamcey Supsup-Lee and Creative Director Jonas Gaffud. Both of them promised to give an official update as soon as a decision has been made.

I was dilly-dallying on whether to upload this post or not. But with Mexico’s National Director Lupita Jones doing a video interview yesterday discussing the three (3) possible options*, here you are.

* – three options are: 1) send last year’s First Runner-Up, 2) conduct an online contest and 3) stage a proper finals on a later date in the year or when it can already be safely staged based on developments with the COVID19 crisis.

Bb. Pilipinas 1991: The Year the Miss Maja Pilipinas represented the country in Miss Universe

Posted by Norman on March 20, 2020
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Courtesy of Tony Paat

It is not unusual in Bb. Pilipinas to have the top titleholder dethroned with another winner lesser in rank taking over her place. 1991 must have been one of the earlier years that set the stronger precedent when Anjanette Abayari was replaced (due to citizenship issues if memory serves me right) by Miss Maja Pilipinas Alou Gonzales who went on to represent us in Miss Universe won by Lupita Jones and which had singer Kuh Ledesma as one of the judges. I say stronger precedent because back in 1984, Miss Maja Pilipinas Bella Nachor represented us in Miss International when 24 year-old Catherine Jane Brummitt was turned down by the Japanese organizers due to age disqualification.

At any rate, I reckon that things would have turned out differently for our participation had Bb. Pilipinas International Patty Betita been sent instead. After all, she was almost confident of getting the Bb. Pilipinas Universe 1991 crown until a late-filing Abayari entered the picture, became Candidate No. 3 and spoiled things for her.

Beautiful, powerful, 45-and-below…what more can they ask for?

Posted by Norman on September 30, 2012
Posted in: 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

15-20 years ago, the five ladies above would have joined beauty contests and won by the sheer amount of intelligence they individually possess. Not that they are less gorgeous than our perennial idea of how a beauty queen looks like, but they know how to fully utilize their smarts to get what they want.

Take for example Marissa Mayer, Yahoo President/CEO and only 37. She could easily pass off as Miss Wisconsin-USA 1997 and a Miss USA winner or finalist. And then there’s 42 year-old Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO. Back in 1992, she would’ve participated in Miss Florida and placed well. Being a great fitness buff then, her swimsuit presentation won’t get lost on the judges’ scorecards. Hispanic Gisel Ruiz, Wal-Mart US COO, is also another could-have-been for the Golden State in the 90s. And how about Transaero Airlines’ Olga Pleshakova? She may be 45, but I won’t be surprised if she secretly took part in Miss Russia 1991 and almost became a contender the year Lupita Jones took home the Miss Universe crown. I’m not even adding Ariston Investments’ Efrat Peled yet. She may not have been an Israeli beauty titleholder back in the mid-90s, although not an impossibility had she gamely took the route. She’s only 38 at the moment.

At any rate, these women upped the ante even more. They are part of Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women in Business, and the youngest may I add. In the US ranking, Sheryl Sandberg (#8), Marissa Mayer (#14) and Gisel Ruiz (#21) are forces to reckon with, just as Olga Pleshakova (#49) and Efrat Peled (#50) are in the international listing.

It cannot be denied that they still have the beauty and relative youthfulness to give our young titleholders a run for their money. What’s more, they have achieved the kind of power most of us can only dream of having. What more can they ask for? More power, of course! They’re not getting any younger, but in terms of clout and control, the years ahead are still sprawlingly rich. 😉

Miss Universe 2010 Jimena Navarrete on the David Letterman show

Posted by Norman on September 3, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , .


video courtesy of YouTube/fylmmatchmaking

Jimena Navarrete is living the celebrity life in New York right now. After winning the Miss Universe 2010 crown last month, she was whisked to the Big Apple to start her one year stay in one of Donald Trump’s upscale apartment towers.

She recently guested on The Late Show with David Letterman. Although I have qualms about how her segment was made to look like a comic list of “Ways Miss Universe Plans To Make The World A Better Place” that is not entirely befitting of a beauty titleholder, I reckon it is acceptable in this day and age when the pageant needs all the promo and publicity to up its popularity.

Interestingly, Jimena spoke in straight English albeit accented. She must have practiced her lines well before coming out on TV.

Two Miss Universes cheek-to-cheek: Miss Universe 1991 Lupita Jones and her protege Miss Universe 2010 Jimena Navarrete - rare gems of Mexico!

Ximena Navarrete: a winning ace up Lupita Jones’ sleeve?

Posted by Norman on July 8, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, Blog Bites: Miss Universe 2010. Tagged: , , , , .

Miss Universe-Mexico 2009/10 Ximena Navarrete

1991 was a glorious year for Mexico in the biggest of beauty pageants. Lupita Jones won her country’s first Miss Universe title and has been the only Mexican representative to do so ever since. A number of ladies almost made it to the top, with the most recent being Elisa Najera placing 5th in the 2008 edition. This year, the North American nation is fielding a hot Latina who, literally, has the X-factor spelled in her name – Ximena Navarrete.

Ximena Navarrete is more than ready to vie for the Miss Universe 2010 title.

The 5’8.5″ Ximena’s initial challenge is how to stand out among the gorgeous Latinas in the pageant itself. She needs to survive the entries from Venezuela, Colombia, Puerto Rico and Brazil first before she can strategize against the onslaught of Asian and European contenders. I personally think she has a good fighting chance for the crown. If her fate aligns with the lucky stars on August 23, then Lupita Jones – Mexico’s Country Director – will be one muy alegre person. 😉

Miss Universe 2010: Las Vegas, here they will come!

Posted by Norman on May 22, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, Blog Bites: Miss Universe 2010. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Come August 22, Miss Universe 2010 will be crowned in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bright lights city has taken the chores of hosting the biggest global beauty pageant. It will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. The different country representatives can now heave a sigh of relief that a venue has already been chosen.

Las Vegas has already hosted the Miss Universe Pageant in 1986 (when Venezuela’s Alicia Machado won) and 1991 (when Lupita Jones of Mexico was crowned.) Third time could be a charm for this “sin city” when gorgeous ladies from around the world start pouring in by the first week of August to vie for the most prestigious crown in beauty contests. Miss Universe 2009, Stefanía Fernández from Venezuela, will crown her successor at the end of this event. More than 80 countries and territories will compete for the title and the pageant will broadcast live on NBC and Telemundo.

Here are some early tidbits: For the first time, Azerbaijan will be represented. Haiti will also be returning. Bulgaria, on the other hand, won’t be fielding a candidate this year, just as Cayman Islands will be missed. Great Britain’s sash will be worn for the first time by a Latina – Tara Hoyos-Martinez – who is of Colombian descent. Nicaragua will have a black woman as its bet – another first for this Central American nation. We all know by now that the USA will have Rima Fakih – the first Arab-American to win the title, while the Philippines – barring any further complications – will be bannered by half-Indian Maria Venus Raj.

Miss Universe 2009 Stefania Fernandez of Venezuela will be crowning her successor in Las Vegas come August 22.

I’m sure the Filipino community in Las Vegas will be in full support for our own delegate, just as their counterparts in California and other US states will be in attendance.

Let’s all look forward to Miss Universe 2010! 😉