Immediately after the Top 20 was announced, the semifinalists went backstage to switch to their couture outfits. Basically the next round would feature them parading in couture fashions (generally street wear or semi-formal wear) from their own local designers. And soon after that round, the Top 10 plus the Fan Vote winner was announced.
I only got 13 of the Top 20 correct. There were a lot of factors that I failed to consider, and the fact that they did not stage a separate preliminary competition probably hurt my forecasting record.
INDONESIA - Fernando Yoseph Wenur. For me, he possesses one of th plainest faces in this batch that his inclusion to this group is a headscratcher for me. But I think justifying his placement is his video introduction impressed the selection committee so much that he won Best Video Presentation and he also won Best National Costume.
INDIA - Gemin Darin. The most notable feature of this guy is his deep voice--his voice exudes the vibe of a very mature and stern Indian father. He's a far cry from the reigning winner, but he did deliver a solid enough presence to earn his slot.
TÜRKIYE - Can Tiras. I only pegged him as a "Bubbling Under" choice as I thought he would be overshadowed by the Latinos, but with the likes of DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ECUADOR and PANAMA falling by the wayside, this paved the way for him to advance. He also gave a solid "essence" speech about using his law background to build a better world.
SOUTH AFRICA - Anton Siebert. He is good looking and I know he's likely a great communicator, though I have a quibble about his beefy frame, as it's more a bodybuilder's frame than the lean, buffed model's frame typically desired in this milieu. But his strong interview skills and background as a schoolteacher won over the selection committee and hence he earned hsi slot here.
CROATIA - Carlos Wiher. He's actually half-Venezuelan and I think primarily resides in Latin America but somehow thanks to his Croatian heritage got to represent this Slavic country. Yes I only pegged him as a "Bubbligh Under" choice because I had quibbles about his physique, but he was able to parlay those quibbles as a positive when he relayed is "essence" and talked about those social media rants about his physique. But then I observed that as the days wore on, he seems to look more polished and more buffed than before, and so I don't object ot his inclusion at all and he seems to be indeed inspirational that way.
CUBA - Rodolfo Fernandez. I knew this guy is a solid overall package of good communication skills, buffed physique and strong stage presence, and hence he earned his placement in the Top 20, as I forecasted.
FRANCE - Julien Didier. He exudes this swarthy, sexy presence that I like a lot, so it's a bit of a shock when he relayed in his "essence" speech that he used to be overweight and overcame it to now become a model. He took a fashion risk by sporting shorts in the Top 20 couture round, but to my eyes, it's not one of my favorite looks and that might have cost him a possible Top 11 spot. He at least garnered a special award as a silver finalist for CI Talks.
VENEZUELA - Sergio Andres Gomez. He placed as well as I predicted squarely in the Top 20, but I think he could've gotten a push towards the Top 11 as he was competing at a high level, and he delivered a good "essence" speech about having a law background and using that to help society. Was the fact that he said this in Spanish instead of English the factor that cost him a Top 11 finish?
TAIWAN - Ace Lin. Yes, he's undeniably buffed and seems to exude an energetic presence, but I'm so not into his facial features. But it seems he is very appealing to the predominantly Thai selection committee that I think in their reckoning, he's the guy who probably missed the Top 11 by a sliver. He garnered a special award from one of this pageant's key sponsors, Vincent Clinic.
COMING UP: TOP 11
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