Alice Li – Street Chic Canada

On Sunday, January 21, 2018, after two days of competition and at the end of three hour show, Alice Li was crowned the new winner of Miss World Ontario 2018.

Miss World Ontario is the provincial qualifier to Miss World Canada, the official preliminary to Miss World. Fifty contestants from all across the province were judged on a wide range of criteria including interviews, charity work, evening gown, swimsuit, and photogenic. Alice Li, the winner of the competition is a 24 year-old graduate from the University of Toronto who studied business for her undergraduate and graduate programs.

What does it take to win a beauty pageant? We sat her down our new Provincial queen to ask her some questions.

Photo: Joshua Best Photography

Why did you decide to compete in a beauty pageant?

From what I can see, beauty queens are jacks of all trades, but masters of none. What I mean is, the winner is always someone who is well-rounded, but doesn’t necessarily need to score highest in every single category. That’s exactly what I do. I know a little bit of everything, but I don’t consider myself an expert in any one particular thing.

Did you think you had a chance at winning?I believe that healthy sportsmanship means going into a competition aiming for your personal best. You have to set yourself realistic goals and define your own meaning of success. Success could be finding the courage to walk up on that stage, or finding confidence in a swimsuit, etc.

My personal goal was to place in the Top 3. With over six years of experience competing in beauty pageants I obviously believe I have what it takes. To me, finishing Top 3 would be a personal win, but look what happened. I did not expect to place first! That’s also why half of my crowning moment photos did not turn out well because I was so in shock, I suddenly didn’t know what to do or where to stand.

At Street Chic, we are all about fashion. Tell us more about your wardrobe for the competition!

This year I went with more of a pink theme. There were fifty contestants there so and anything that makes you standout is worth the effort.

In the morning, showed up to rehearsals in this super adorable Ted Baker dress. Although there is no dress code for rehearsals, I still like to put a bit of effort and feel like myself. After all, fashion is a way to express your personality and I thought this dress was so “me”.

My interview outfit was also pink and I went with a fitted, sleeveless Calvin Klein classic. You can’t go wrong with Calvin Klein for a modern, elegant look.

I went simple with the accessories and wore these gorgeous pearl earrings from The Modern Princess. So my approach to the beauty pageant and the classic dilemma of ‘What should I wear to the interview?’, was to dress business casual with a pop of style.

For my evening gown, I took a risk and wore a pink tulle ballgown from Mac Duggal. In beauty pageants, big ballgowns are typically not as popular as sexier styles. The top bodice is embellished in rhinestones and features a low waist. It was an interesting silhouette because the accentuation was on my hips instead of my waist. I’ve never competed in a ballgown before but it was fun to feel like a princess on stage! I guess it all worked out in the end, and perhaps that means pink is my best color.

Photo Credit: Charlie Lam Photography

We heard it was also your birthday? Happy birthday!

The competition date this year actually fell on my 24th birthday. Out of fifty girls, I was the 24th contestant, with a last name starting with “L.” I didn’t plan any birthday celebrations because my mind was completely focused on the competition. However, all the girls were so supportive throughout the weekend and after my crowning onstage, everyone actually started singing Happy Birthday. I could not have imagined a better way to celebrate.

What was the hardest part about the competition?

One of hardest part about the competition is staying focused because so many different thoughts run through your head at the same time. For example, when walking onto stage for evening gown, you’re trying to walk up the stairs elegantly without tripping over your dress. At the same time, you’re smiling and making eye contact with the judges. In your head, you’re reminding yourself of the choreography so that you don’t walk the wrong way. Cameras are flashing from all directions while you’re blinded by the stage lights. But to showcase your true personality, you’ve just got to take a deep breath and let everything flow naturally.

Photo Credit: Charlie Lam Photography

As the ambassador for Ontario, what is your goal this year?

I believe that the most valuable asset we own is time. You cannot buy time or trade it with others. That is why I want to dedicate my time volunteering within my community. I have many charities and nonprofit organizations that I will be working with this year, including the Good Shepherd Ministries and Children’s Wish Foundation. Such an amazing start to 2018 and I look forward to this new journey!

Photo credit: Joshua Best Photography

Miss World Canada 2017 Grande Finale on Saturday July 22, 2017 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre had a huge live audience and tens of thousands more people watched the web broadcast. One of the most heavily scrutinized videos afterwards is the evening gowns portion of the show, where the top twenty delegates display their heavenly creations. Below is a video courtesy of nicevisions

Although fifty seven contestants from across the country graced the stage that night, only twenty were invited to showcase their designer dresses on stage. The Top 20 Finalists modeled their gowns to the world at the show, and one of the young women you can see in the videos and in the photos below is Cynthia Menard who won the crown that evening. Sharing Toronto wrote an inside story about 2017 Miss World Canada pageant; the author followed the girls throughout the week and right up until the night of the competition.

Torontonicity author Lori Bosworth published an account by Alice Li of the Top 10 Evening Gowns at 2017 Miss World Canada. Below is an excerpt from that piece for Street Chic.

Evening Gowns add substance to the show

The Evening Gown portion of any beauty pageant is one of the most anticipated and most scrutinized sections of the show. It’s an opportunity for each contestant to show her elegance, personality and style. Below is a candid capture this author secured backstage at the 2017 Search for Miss World Canada as the delegates were queuing up to go on stage.

ecvening gwons at miss world canada

On Saturday July 22nd the evening gown score was worth 20% of the contestants’ total and as such, it’s the highest-weighted category. Other segments include swimsuit, runway, interviews, charity fundraising, and social media. Just getting to this point in the award show is a real achievement!

Here are the top six dresses in this author’s opinion. For more details please do read Torontonicity’s Top Ten Evening Gowns at 2017 Miss World Canada where there is much more narrative description surrounded these designer creations and the ladies that wore them that night.

Name: Maleeka Singh
Title: Miss Southcentral Ontario World 2017
Gown: Sponsored by Jasz Couture

Jasz Couture is a famous evening gown and prom dress store in the USA. Maleeka choose this piece from their 2017 catalogue. They are famous for styling dressy short pants and shimmering dresses including their signature sexy cut-outs. Jasz Couture continues to be innovative and fashion forward, bringing the hottest looks for prom.

Name: Lia Fallah
Title: Miss Vancouver World 2017
Gown: From Jonathan’s in New Westminister

Lia bought her dress at Jonathon’s Proms and Evening gowns in New Westminster, Vancouver BC. They offer the latest styles in bridal gowns, bridesmaid, prom, grad dresses, and flower girl dresses. This dress is exceptional. It really is one of those gowns that makes you look twice! It is actually full of flower details, from the waistline all the way down to the skirt ruffles. The dress reminded her of the traditional Persian Toranj style evening wear and that’s close to her heart and country of origin.

Name: Joana Szeen
Title: Miss Southwestern Ontario World 2017
Gown: Designed by Joana Szeen, made by Edith Lichtherte

Draped in the most vibrant shade of red, Joana Szeen designed most of this dress herself, including choosing the fabric.

Working with Edith Lichtherte, a designer from Windsor Ontario, Joana sketched the out elements herself and even included some delightful finishing touches, like roses on the back.

Avigail Aaron at Miss World Canada 2017

Name: Avigail Aaron
Title: Miss Thornhill World 2017

Although purple is not a popular colour for pageant gowns, Avigail displayed incredible showmanship and flare with this unusually beautiful creation. The dress has nude mesh to hold it together at the sides and back and it exposes some of the natural curves of her body.

Avigail also matched her shade of lipstick and mascara to her gown to really focus her appearance. It worked. Her purple gown was one of the highlights of the show.

Terin Rothernel at Miss World Canada 2017

Name: Terin Rothernel
Title: Miss Perth County World 2017
Gown Designer: Tony Bowls Paris, sponsored by Jacalyn Flood from Arbonne.

Terin’s bright red dress drips confidence from every angle! Simple yet sophisticated, this Tony Bowls original design is timeless. Tony Bowls evening wear designs have a reputation in the pageant world where numerous Miss America, Miss USA and Miss Universe contestants have worn his dresses. Tony is the Official Designer for the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Pageant and was the 2014 Official Miss America Evening Gown Designer. This strapless mermaid gown is made from double jersey and features side peplum accents.

Olivera Paripovic at Miss World Canada 2017

Name: Olivera Paripovic
Title: Miss Quebec World 2017
Gown: Mackenzie Lace Gown by Marciano

Olivera made quite an entrance wearing this luxurious scuba-knit gown. With a stunning lace design, sexy plunging neckline and head-turning train, it’s the ultimate occasion statement piece. Alice described this dress as a perfect example of “less is more.” The gown is from Loue1Robe in Montreal, which is a unique dress rental store. The dress’s exterior shell is made of 95% Polyester, and 5% Spandex. The dress is lined (100% polyester) with a zipper for closure at the back.

Name: Katie Seto
Title: Miss Durham Region World 2017
Gown: From Sharleez Bridal

Katie’s stunning ball gown was a risky move that worked – it caught everyone’s attention and she really pulled it off! Katie’s styled her hair to match and her big natural smile finished the look perfectly.

One thing that judges look for is how comfortable the contestant looks onstage, and in the pictures here you can really tell that Katie loves her dress and is feeling very confident about it. Finding a dress that gives you confidence is necessary for winning the crown.

In the end, perhaps its worth reflecting that it really doesn’t matter how much each delegate’s gown costs, or where it’s from, as long as the delegate feels comfortable and confident enough to let their true spirit shine forth on stage.

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Alice Li Crowned Miss World Ontario 2018

Best Evening Gowns at 2017 Miss World Canada

Evening Gowns add substance to the show