MISS UNIVERSE SWEDEN 2011

Ronnia Fornstedt, 20, is the new Miss Universe Sweden 2011. She won the title last night. She also won the title of Miss Photogenic.

BEHIND THE GREEN MASK

The lady behind the green mask is none other that the blonde beauty Yvonne Ryding of Sweden, Miss Universe 1984, and one of Beauty School's all-time favorite Miss Universes!

ZEN ON SUNDAY

Anita Ekberg, Miss Sweden 1951

BABY BLUE

Baby blue seems to be a popular color for evening gowns! Here are some Miss World and Miss Universe winners in their baby blue gowns...starting with Brazil's Ieda Vargas, Miss Universe 1963.

Both Miss Universe winners from Brazil were crowned in baby blue gowns - here is Martha Vasconcellos, Miss Brazil 1968.

Greece's Kiriaki (Corinna) Tsopei, Miss Universe 1964

Miss Universe 1970, Puerto Rico's Marisol Malaret

Miss World 1976, Jamaica's Cindy Breakspeare

Miss World 1999, India's Yukta Mookhey

Miss Universe 1984, Sweden's Yvonne Ryding

VICTORIA SILVSTEDT IN THE OLYMPICS?

Article Source: StyleCritics

A gifted athlete, Victoria Silvstedt became a world-class member of the Swedish National Ski Team, ranking as high as fourth among her future Olympian teammates in the Super-Giant Slalom. A devastating shoulder injury prematurely ended Victoria’s Olympic dreams at the age of 16.

But that was just the beginning of her career. Although at the time she was a complete teenage tomboy who had never even worn a pair of high heel shoes, Victoria’s mother and sister secretly entered her into the 1993 Miss Sweden Beauty Pageant.

Never backing down from a challenge, Victoria strapped on heels for the first time in her life and walked tentatively across the pageant stage. Victoria’s hard work and discipline helped prepare her for most things in life, but needless to say, she was surprised and overjoyed when she was declared the winner. The downhill skiing MISS SWEDEN 1993 was on her way to the Miss World Pageant in South Africa!

After the stunning beauty became a Finalist at the 1993 Miss World Pageant, Victoria was discovered by a Parisian modeling agent and began a career in high fashion working for highly selective fashion giants such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Loris Azzaro, Givenchy, Valentino and Giorgio Armani.

"SHE'S A LADY"

" Whoa whoa whoa, she's a lady." Lyrics from Tom Jones hit song. Here we see Tom serenading the lady of the night during the finals of Miss Universe 1984. The lady in question, none other than the future winner of the title, Yvonne Ryding of Sweden. Indeed, what a beautiful lady!

July 9TH - A DOUBLE HEADER

July 9th was a lucky day for two ladies who would win the title of Miss Universe on that date.

In 1960, Miss USA would win the title during the first US-wide television broadcast of the pageant, on the CBS network. Here she is moments after capturing the title of Miss USA before competing for the Miss Universe title. 24 years later, on the same date, Yvonne Ryding of Sweden would win the Miss Universe title. Here she is during the preliminary swimsuit competition.

FIRST LADIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT

With much media attention being paid to the first lady of France, Carla Bruni, and speculation about who will be the next first lady of the US, we thought we'd spotlight some first ladies of our own. Those ladies who placed as first runner-up at the Miss Universe pageant over the years. The spotlight this time goes to Louise Drevenstam, Miss Sweden 1989. She finished as first runner-up to Angela Visser of Holland. What we loved about her was her sweet almost fragile demeanor, the fact that she was having a hard time understanding what was happening around her in a language that was foreign to her, and the fact that she kept trying. She made it through to the final question, when she was asked what she would do if someone asked for a radical haircut (she was a beautician) and she said something like, to paraphrase, "I would say is not a good idea." She was adorable, beautiful and a breath of fresh air. The spotlight is on you, Louise.

DOING THE CANNES-CANNES

Beauty delegates of years past are doing the Cannes-Cannes this year like never before!

Recently spotted on red carpets at Cannes were Sonia Rolland (Miss France 2000 and top 10 finisher at Miss Universe 2000), Victoria Silvstedt (Miss World Sweden 1993 and top 10 finisher at Miss World 1993...and did we mention Playboy Playmate of the Year in 1997?), Michelle Yeoh (Miss World Malaysia 1983), and Laura Martinez Haring (Miss USA 1985).

Victoria Silvstedt

Laura Martinez Haring

Sonia Rolland

Michelle Yeoh

PRODUCT PLACEMENT

Pageant titleholders make great spokespersons for all sorts of products - from pizza to cosmetics to beer to diet drinks, as the following beauty queens demonstrate.

Yukta Mookhey, Miss World 1999

Kurara Chibana, Miss Universe Japan 2006

Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999

Margareta Arvidsson, Miss Universe 1966

Agbani Darego, Miss World 2001

RYDING THE DANCE WAVE

Another Miss Universe riding the dance competition wave is Yvonne Ryding, Miss Universe 1984. She competed in a recent edition of the Swedish TV dance competition show Let's Dance (she did not win, however.)