Miss Florida USA Faces

The Road to Hollywood ventured slightly north on I-95 to Oakland Park for the second annual pageant. A beautiful afternoon replaced last years flood’s as what was three feet of water last year was perfect conditions this year. Team Halavin added two new members for the 2008 season as Team Hollywood made their pageant debuts. It was also great to see Miss West Broward USA Chelsea Korka who sat with pageant director Barbara Ewald.

Miami Tropic Scholarship Pageant Director Mrs. Rose chats with Ms. Navarro, Mrs. Rose

A big congratulations goes to the Miami Tropic Pageant who’s camp came out to root on Angela Overton who captured the title. Also look for The Miami Tropic’s Pageant to send their titleholder’s to state. Ensuring representation of the Hispanic community in Miami. Welcome! Also a big congratulation’s goes to reigning titleholders Angel Coleman (Miss Oakland Park USA) and Christian Erickson (Miss Oakland Park Teen USA) who really represented so well over the 2007 season. Their emotional farewells were a highlight of the evening.

The mother and daughter directing team of Angie and Mandi Halavin (left), Ms. Korka and Mrs. Ewald during the after pageant mingling (center) & Yazmin Navarro (Miss Hollywood USA 2008) and Adriana Pedrique

INTRODUCING THE MISS THINGS OF THE RUNWAY AT NEW YORK’S FASHION WEEK

February 1, 2007 -- THIS weekend's kickoff to Fashion Week will focus on the style misses - Miss USA, Miss Universe and Miss Sixty. While the two beauty queens will be walking separate runways, Miss Sixty will invite the Bryant Park crowd down to the revitalized area around Ground Zero tonight.

Five years after 9/11, the Italian fashion house chose the 56th floor of 7 World Trade, the first office building to be rebuilt in lower Manhattan, to showcase its fall collection. The company, known for its young, bold designs, hopes to make a fashion statement - and a political one.

The address is the city's first "green" building, pioneering rainwater collection for irrigating the public park outside, and using recycled materials in the construction process.

"It's a very glamorous place, very New York. And the collection is very luxurious. There are a lot of cocktail dresses and it's more sophisticated, and I like the idea of seeing chic New York in the dark," says Wichy Hassan, creative director for Miss Sixty.

"For me, that part of New York is really special. When I work to design the collection, I've always liked to go there, in the small downtown vintage shops. It's a part of New York that I love. And it's to support this part of the city."

Hassan says the new building is the perfect place for Miss Sixty's fall line, which is taking a turn away from its signature casual, denim looks and turning up the heat with sophisticated dress designs in silk, crepe and chiffon.

The brand also collaborated with Scott Pask, a Tony-winning set designer, to create a backdrop for the show that is inspired by the Manhattan skyline.

TARA Conner's return to New York City won't be celebrated with a clinking of cocktail glasses or a night of table-hopping at the hottest clubs, but with a starring role in New York Fashion Week.

The recently rehabbed Miss USA will make her first public appearance since returning from the Caron Foundation, where she was treated for drug and alcohol abuse, this Sunday morning on the runway at the Tadashi show at the Bryant Park tents.

"I don't know how they are going to react when they see me on the runway," Conner said of the audience. "But I hope they are accepting and open-minded."

It's an opportunity for the beauty queen, who admitted to Matt Lauer on yesterday's "Today" show that she has used cocaine, to present her squeaky-clean new image to members of the press and the fashion community. Donald Trump, who ordered Conner to rehab, said he is in full support of Conner's participation in Fashion Week and her new beginning.

Conner and Miss Teen USA Katie Blair, who will also be a model in the show, are more than familiar with Tadashi Shoji's work - he has been both an official sponsor of Miss USA and the designer of all of the pageant's opening-segment gowns for the past four years.

"I'm honored to have Tara close my show," Shoji said. "No matter what you wear, I believe clothes reflect the strength and confidence you have inside, and Tara has proven she has that."

At Shoji's showroom yesterday morning, Conner arrived perky and fresh-faced in jeans and high heels, admiring the gowns from the new Fall '07 collection and deciding which she liked best. "It's perfect!" Shoji said as Conner emerged in the dusky metallic gown she eventually chose, train trailing behind her. "The dress is so feminine, it just accents her figure beautifully."

While he has been designing pageant gowns and evening wear for many years, this is Shoji's first season holding a runway show in New York. His new collection, a higher-priced line of formal dresses called Tadashi Shoji (as opposed to his original line, simply called Tadashi), will utilize the same ultra-feminine silhouettes that made him a pageant hit in the first place.

And while it's Conner's first time in a runway show, she said she wasn't nervous. In fact, she said a fashion show is the perfect forum for her adjustment back into the spotlight. "After Miss USA and walking on a stage in front of a huge crowd, not to mention a TV audience, I'm very comfortable in the runway setting!"

SHE'S red-hot, that Miss Universe. Here's Zuleyka Rivera, ready for her walk in the Red Dress Collection show on Friday, at a fitting with dress designer Gustavo Cadile in his studio.

This is the fifth year for the annual fashion show, where celebrities model one-of-a-kind red dresses created by New York's top fashion talent as part of a campaign for heart disease, the No. 1 health threat for American women.

The 19-year-old beauty, the fifth Puerto Rican to hold the title, will be in good company. Project spokeswoman first lady Laura Bush is presiding, and some of the 25 ladies in red include Katharine McPhee, Kelly Ripa, Angela Bassett, Kim Cattrall, Rachael Ray, Lauren Hutton and Billie Jean King.

"For me it's a pleasure. It's important that we create this event to help awareness. And the dresses are gorgeous," Rivera said.

Team Halavin was in full swing last week as their Broward County delegation were very involved in Ft. Lauderdale Fashion Week at our summer home, The Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa. The weeklong event had daily shows around the beautiful waterfall in the outdoor arena. Our supermodels included Cristian Erickson and Lindsay Shockey (Miss Broward County 2008) who were featured in this picture shoot.

It was quite a hectic week in particular for Ms. Shockey who on Tuesday she was featured on the South Florida Today show with Trina Robinson and on Thursday she was featured on Deco Drive all for promoting Ft. Lauderdale fashion week that occurred on January 25-28. At the end of last week she took part in Ft. Lauderdale fashion week that happened over a very long two- day period. Segments of the show are featured on www.bocaraton.com as well as Italian television. What an exciting event!!

Special thanks to photographer Daniel Sommer who provided us with the great photographs! We actually missed an event so thank you Daniel for keeping our Miss Florida USA fan’s up to date. If you are looking for a photographer or would like to check out Mr. Sommer’s other works click here;www.fl-photo.com.

» Pageantry in the Press

Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera arrives at the amfAR Gala honoring Whoopi Goldberg,

» PICTURES & STORIES WANTED!

If you enjoy reading the stories of our Miss Florida USA Family and want us to know what great things are happening either during or after you reign please email us at telair@aol.com. We love touting our sorority of outstanding Florida women. Please send us a paragraph (or two) on your appearances, awards or community service and include pictures. We want you to have all of the support of this great lifestyle we call Miss Florida USA!

» Alumni News Wanted!

If you know of any Miss Florida USA alumni in the news please drop us an email to feature them in future articles. Email all info to info@missfloridausa.com! Until next week here to good pageantry!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK!

This week traditionally is an easy Picture of The Week. We at POTW pay homage to the granddaddy of them all, Miss America as the oldest pageant in our country honors their champion. And since not that many people saw it on television (several of our committee don’t even get CMT) so we thought we would select the classic reaction shot featuring a very excited Oklahoma representative. Enjoy a very traditional POTW.