PAGEANT Circle

Miss Universe front-runner from Puerto Rico Ashley Cariño squeezed in a few latest photos while she is busy preparing for the competition of her life in just three months. Photographed by Fani Miranda, the proud boricua went to social media on Saturday, September 24 to share the stunning shots of her wearing a gown by Laura Saez and the crown by Lido Jewelers. "My favorite color is purple," she captioned in Spanish with a purple heart emoji and added: "It's no coincidence that purple is the mix of blue with red, the colors of my flag. Let violet be a balance between intensity and calm. It stands for dignity, creativity and magic." The 28-year-old aerospace engineer and women in STEM advocate also continued by sharing how grateful she is for how her country has remained calm amid intensity and how they rise together as brothers. Ashley was crowned Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022 on August 11 in San Juan and this January, she will attempt to win her country's s...

Miss Fajardo, Ashley Ann Cariño, was crowned Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022 in a glittering competition that took place on Thursday, August 11 at the Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, also known as Bellas Artes de Santurce in San Juan. The 27-year-old beauty succeeds last year's winner Michelle Colón of Loíza and will represent Puerto Rico at the 71st Miss Universe pageant (Miss Universe 2022) later this year. Leonela González De Jesús of Dorado and Camille Fabery Diana of Cataño were named the first and second runners-up, respectively. The representatives of Aguadilla,  Graciela Berrios and Toa Alta, Valeria Pagán Masini, completed the Top 5 finalists. This year's national competition was the 66th edition of Miss Universe Puerto Rico. The event was hosted by former titleholder Estefanía Soto and Puerto Rican journalist Julio Rivera-Saniel while international stars Gloria Trevi, Jencarlos Canela, and Víctor Manuelle were the special guest performers. The new Miss...

Puerto Rico, a small beautiful island territory in the Caribbean, will crown a new queen tonight during the 66th Miss Universe Puerto Rico edition at Centro de Bellas Artes de Santurce (Santurce Fine Arts Center). The “Isla del Encanto” (Island of Enchantment) is a "powerhouse" in the Miss Universe pageant after winning five editions courtesy of Marisol Malaret (1970), Deborah Carthy (1985), Dayanara Torres (1993), Denise Quiñones (2001), and Zuleyka Rivera (2006). This year, a total of 28 contestants will battle it out for the coveted national title and the opportunity to represent Puerto Rico at Miss Universe 2022. Who will be the next Miss Universe Puerto Rico? Meet our Top 8 favorites for the crown: Miss Adjuntas , Mariana Torres-Bernard , 24, is a volleyball player and aspiring health professional. She studied biology with a concentration in biotechnology at the University of Puerto Rico. Miss Aguadilla , Graciela Berrios Barreto , 18, is also a volleyball player, and an...

The preliminary competition of Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022 took place on Sunday, August 7 from the historic Teatro Tapia (Tapia Theater) Theater in San Juan. Hosted by "NotiCentro" journalist Jorge Gelpí Pagán and "Viva la tarde" presenter Nicole Chacón, with musical numbers from Lenny Tavárez and  Christian Daniel, the colorful event featured 28 contestants competing in their preliminary swimsuits and evening gowns. The judges were veteran journalist Luz Nereida Vélez; lawyer and businesswoman Vivian Santiago; specialist in oral rehabilitation doctor Carlos Izcoa; journalist, writer and columnit for local and Latin American media Ana Teresa Toro; executive producer and casting film director Germán Legarreta; entrepreneur and Women Who Lead founder Frances Ríos; and actor Eli Cay. Special awards for Best L'Oreal Hair, Best Ceravé and Vichy Skin, Miss Photogenic, and Miss Friendship were respectively awarded to Miss Adjuntas, Mariana Torres Bernard, Miss Fajar...

Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2021 Michelle Marie Colón showed off her national costume for the 70th Miss Universe pageant on the "Viva la Tarde" program of Wapa TV. The national costume called "Protectora de Nuestras Costas” not only pays tribute to the Puerto Rican Afro-descendants but also carries a message of awareness for the conservation of the environment. Recycled materials such as plastic bottles, caps, and bags, some of the most common and harmful pollutants in the seas, were collected and transformed into art and music elements for this beautiful creation. Inspired by Puerto Rico's first indigenous music "la bomba" the costume is a collaborative work of Dominican designers Leonel Lirio and plastic artist Luis Rivas. “I wanted a dress that had color, movement, and that transmitted energy. I am extremely happy to be able to bring not only these elements to the universal stage but also to be able to represent the wealth of our Afro-descendants. The dres...

Loíza representative, Michelle Colón, was crowned Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2021 in a glittering competition held on Thursday, September 30 in San Juan. The 21-year-old model and pre-medicine student who created the CARE Empowerment Program succeeds Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2020 and Miss Universe Top 10 finalist, Estefanía Soto. San Lorenzo’s Jaylene Marie Álvarez and Dorado’s Oxana Isabel Rivera were respectively named the first and second runners-up while Toa Baja’s Heilymar Rosario, Trujillo Alto’s Sthephanie Marie Miranda, and Villalba’s Gabriela Guzmán completed the Top 6. Michelle will now prepare to represent Puerto Rico at the 70th Miss Universe pageant to be held in Eilat, Israel this December. Photos: Miss Universe Puerto Rico

After three successful years, former Miss Universe Denise Quiñones has resigned as national director of the Miss Universe Puerto Rico organization. Under her directorship, Puerto Rico managed to achieve high placements at Miss Universe with Kiara Ortega (Top 5), Madison Anderson (first runner-up), and Estefanía Soto (Top 10). Wapa Televisión, franchise holder of Miss Universe made the announcement on Saturday, May 21. The network will continue to work with the reigning queen and prepare for the staging of the national competition's next edition that will kick off casting early next month. Prior to becoming an actress, Denise was crowned Miss Universe 2001  at Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez in Bayamón. She was the fourth representative from Puerto Rico to win the pageant. Photo: Denise Quiñones / Instagram

Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2020 Estefanía Soto Torres will be wearing a stunning Walter Mercado-inspired national costume at the 69th Miss Universe pageant. In honor of the Puerto Rican astrologer's life trajectory and unifying message of love and acceptance, Joshuan Aponte created the costume with 86,400 pieces of Austrian crystals. The beautiful headpiece is made of gold jewelry and precious stones that denote the 12 zodiacal signs and the stars in the sky. It is designed and composed of 78 separate pieces, one for each town of Puerto Rico, and includes six last quarter moons that embody the search for the country's 6th Miss Universe crown. "Walter Mercado inspired us to live embracing our identity and valuing our differences. The unifying force behind his message of universal positivism gives us the extraordinary power of progress in the face of the challenges we face as humanity," Estefanía shared on social media. "With this national costume, we celebrate Wa...