The Binibining Cebu 2018 Swimsuit Competition

CEBU, Philippines —  As the search for the next Binibining Cebu revs up, the 54 candidates were on game mode in the hopes of taking home the coveted crown. The province-wide competition officially began its pre-pageant events, starting with the Swimwear and Long Gown Pre-Pageant Competition last Wednesday.

Held at The Tent in Mandani Bay, the affair showed off the ladies in their long gowns and swimwear, smoothly transitioning from one segment to the other. After shedding their exquisite gowns made by designers from the Fashion Association of Cebu’s Elite Talents (FACET), the candidates set off the winding catwalk once more, all lively and playful and clad in Kimberly Maitland Smith’s two-piece creation.

Emerging from the gloom, the candidates took off their raincoats and set their umbrellas aside to show off their figures in the Solti Activewear collection by Smith. With its trendy off-shoulder top and horizontal neckline, Smith – who made the collection exclusively for the pageant and custom-made for every candidate – says that the piece looks good on different body types and allows comfort for candidates when it comes to the neckline.

Apart from spandex, Smith uses discarded textiles from companies in her designs to fight pollution. The designer quips that it was tough judging the girls in her creation since according to her, all of them carried her design perfectly.

Creative producer Kenneth Cobonpue was very pleased with how the evening turned out, explaining how he wanted to reinvent the idea of the swimwear portion being sunny, hence the gloom and the rain, and the girls initially clad in transparent raincoats with umbrellas in hand.

The competitions, each making 30 percent of the candidates’ Top 20 eligibility, were judged by Smith herself, alongside actor Richard Yap, celebrated dermatologist to stars and beauty queens Cecilia Bernad, Miss Manila 2018 Kathleen Joy Paton, and pageant blogger Norman Tinio.

Also determining the Top 20 on the coronation night are the candidates’ scores for their Pre-Pageant Interview (25 percent) on October 14 at Mandani Bay, and the organizers’ score for the candidates’ overall attitude which makes 15 percent.