Author: Guest Blogger

GUEST BLOG: Gown designer, Randall Smith of RKS Couture with Jazz Wilkins

The “Jazz” was a dress that was aligned with the stars.  When I first began to train Jazz for Miss Georgia USA, I sent her on a mission to find pageant dresses that she connected with.  Usually most newcomers to pageants have a different view of the way they would like to be styled or their individual pageant style.  History has proven that usually the two various styles don’t always align.

After carefully reviewing various tear sheets and visiting local boutiques, Jazz and I came to realize that she was too tall for many rack dresses and once we added a six inch heel, there was no way she could wear a ready-to-wear garment.  Jazz fell in love with a long sleeve black dress that was worn by the current (at the time) Miss Georgia USA 2011 - Kaylin Reque,  when she was crowned at the state pageant.  Jazz wanted sleek and simple with very little beading.  She wanted her style to be very simple and did not want to resemble “A Pageant Girl”.

At that time, I had to go to work and began to be creative to satisfy my first time pageant client who didn't want to resemble a pageant girl.

However, I needed to evoke pageantry in the style to make sure that we didn’t eliminate the elements of pageants.

After all, we are competing in a pageant!

Henceforth, the state gown was created.  It was a long sleeve plunging “V” simple matte jersey form fitting dress with a high right leg split.

The dress made Jazz feel like a Million Dollars!!

She loved her gown and couldn’t wait to show it off.  That was her spark at the state level.

"When I first saw the gown (before Miss Georgia USA 2012), I was nervous as to whether I could pull it off or not! It’s very daring with such a plunging neckline but I got so many compliments on it after the pageant. The long sleeved white gown I wore to Miss USA was actually a modified version of the gown I wore at my state pageant. That gown just worked so well for me the first time that I didn’t want to switch it up too much and go with something completely different, so we added an open back and embellished the V cut in the front."
-Jazz Wilkins

Once Jazz was crowned Miss Georgia USA, I asked her what she wanted to wear to USA and she replied “My State Gown”.  I responded and said absolutely not.  Jazz still being a relative newcomer to pageants needed to go out and explore other designers and styles that might enhance her fashion sense and style.

After working with various designers and boutiques, Jazz was adamant about wearing long sleeves and having a low back to Miss USA.  She loved the idea of looking sleek and couture.

This is where the magic began.  Two weeks before Miss USA, I began to construct the Magically Jasmyn gown.  She wanted sleeves and a low back and I wanted it to be sexy, sleek and regal.

Jazz was the perfect model to design for.  She could wear a sack and look amazing.  I went to the fabric store and ordered the finest White Matte Jersey with the perfect sheen, weight and texture to secure the flow of the gown.

From the first fitting, Jazz was estatic, delighted and confused because it was so close to Miss USA and her dream gown was being crafted.  Now you must know that since we were so close to Miss USA, Jazz already had a gown to wear at Nationals.   Once the gown was initially fitted, we made some minor changes from the sketch to ramp up the sexiness and accentuate the low back.

I removed the top panel on the back of the gown that went across the back.  This panel is typically used to secure the garment on the body.  I had to structurally create support that would continue to support but give us the illusion we desired.  I love to be creative with my fits.  I truly believe it’s the fit that makes the fashion.  I pride myself on having tricks of the trade that allows me to fit a woman’s body to perfection.

When the “Jazz” gown was completed, it was taken to the “Stone Guy” to hand stone the gown.  The Stone Guy custom stoned the plunging V neckline and the cuffs in crystal and AB stones.  He then created hand stoned earrings and stoned shoes to complete the look.

The night before Jazz’s flight to Vegas, I designed and completed Jazz’s Dream RKS COUTURE gown. She wanted to make everyone happy pertaining to the wardrobe choices already in place for Miss USA but knew in her heart that “The Jazz Gown” was the one. Jazz arrived in style at Miss USA and wore the RKS COUTURE gown with style, grace and class the way that the dress was designed for her to wear.

"I just feel like when you find something that works for you stick with it! I felt way more confident wearing it the 2nd time around at Miss USA 2012 than I did at my state pageant…even after the fact that we made it even MORE daring. I just felt like this was kind of my lucky dress since it helped me win my first pageant ever. Granted there are plenty of ‘white long sleeved’ gowns out there by so many designers, but I just felt like I couldn’t go wrong with this one. I even named her ‘old reliable’ LOL!"
-Jazz Wilkins

(Photos courtesy of Miss Universe Organization, Randall Smith, Jazz Wilkins, and Harold's Studios)

GUEST BLOG: Mary Margaret McCord with Steven Fields - Gown Designer

Most pageant girls know that the hardest part about preparing for your next pageant is picking out the evening gown. This was my biggest struggle when planning for Miss Alabama USA 2013. After placing first runner up in 2012, I felt like I had a lot of expectations to come back even bigger and better. I had worked with Steven Fields, the owner of J.S. Fields and Company, in 2012 to pick out a dress.

The dress I chose to wear for the Miss Alabama USA 2012 pageant was a custom Jovani white jersey gown. It had originally been made for my good friend Keeley Patterson, Miss Mississippi USA 2011, to wear at Miss USA. Instead, she chose a different gown which gave me the opportunity to wear it to Miss Alabama USA 2012. It was a dream dress and I thought it was not possible to find one that beat it.

I had contemplated wearing the white gown again for 2012, but I decided I needed something new. I had experienced disappointment while wearing that gown and I wanted to have a clean state going into Miss AL USA 2013.

While modeling for Atlanta market in August, Steven came to purchase gowns for his shop. After going to several stores, we went in the Claire’s Collection show room. We spotted a black gown that was very intriguing. I liked the shape and the look of the gown, but I was not in love. Then we discovered a white strapless dress with a scalloped neckline.

I fell in love with the top of the dress but I loved the silhouette of the black dress more. We discussed combining the two dresses with Daniel at Claire’s Collection and he said it would be possible. We made several changes to the black dress and added the neckline of the white dress. The whole process was nerve racking because I was saying yes to a dress that I had never seen before and would not see until 2 weeks before Miss AL USA. Although I am a very visual person, I decided to go out on a whim and purchase the dress.

"In 2011, I had the distinct honor of designing Mary Margaret McCord's dress that aided in her first runner-up placement at Miss Alabama USA. While preparing for 2012's competition, I knew I wanted a gown that would showcase Mary Margaret's amazing body. Mary Margaret, Daniel from Claire's Collection, and I sat down and sketched what we imagined to be her dream gown."
-Steven Fields

The four months before I saw my dress were the longest of my life. I was training and preparing for Miss AL USA while being a full time graduate student and fighting to find hours to study Statistics. Even though I had a million things to think about, I was very anxious and worried about my dress. I would have dreams that the dress came in and was completely different than what we had ordered! The worse dream was that it came in and was a cotton maxi dress! In my dream I even asked my alterations lady if she could put beads on it! I probably had about 5 or 6 nightmares about my dress, not to mention the countless other nightmares I had about showing up to Miss AL USA unprepared.

On November 19, which was 18 days before Miss AL USA, Keeley and I made the four hour drive to Nashville to see my dress. I wasted no time and tried on the dress the moment I got to Steven’s shop.

The second I saw the dress on, I fell in love.

It was everything I wanted in a dress. It was edgy, form fitted, not overly beaded, and classic.

My worries about beading my white dress quickly went away. It was my dream dress.

I felt like a Bond girl when I had on the dress, so I secretly named it the James Bond dress.

To push the time limit even more, I had to get it hemmed so I did not receive the dress until December 2, which was 5 days before Miss AL USA!

"We went from 2011's classic, yet sexy, white gown to a show-stopping black gown. I feel the styling along with the choice of black hit all the categories we needed to perfect. The black liquid bead gown with a portrait neckline and chiffon detailing hugged Mary-Margaret's curves in all the right places, while the high slit was a perfect balance of class and sex appeal, allowing her rocking legs to be front and center in the spotlight."
-Steven Fields

The moment I stepped onto the Miss AL USA stage in my gown, I felt at ease. I had zero doubts about my gown and knew this was my time to shine.

Although the swimsuit competition is usually my favorite part, this year my dress made the evening gown competition my favorite. After three years of competing in Miss AL USA, my perseverance finally paid off and I was able to win the title in my dream dress.

Most pageant people will tell you that a dress cannot win the pageant for you and I completely agree; however, I think a dress can lose it for you. You have to feel like you are already the titleholder in the dress in order for you to truly show the judges that you deserve the crown.

My dress made me feel 100% confident in my ability to win Miss AL USA and luckily the judges recognized that and made the decision to crown me as Miss Alabama USA 2013, and for that I am ever grateful.

-Mary Margaret McCord - Miss Alabama USA 2013