When Miss Virginia USA walks the runway at the Miss USA competition later this month, one thing is for sure: No contestants will show up in the same dress.
That’s because students in the Fashion Careers program at Fairfax Academy are dressing Ashley Williams, this year’s Miss Virginia USA, for the national stage.
“A lot of people, they outsource their wardrobe for the pageant from well-known and famous designers,” Williams said. “But I’m grateful to be wearing our high schoolers to show them that the world is their oyster.”
The project is the result of a collaboration between Williams and Fairfax Academy’s Kendall Barry, who teaches in the program and also owns her own luxury swimwear brand, ISAMEL.
“I think it’s really great and I really appreciate how much she is relying on us for this, because this is her career,” said Eve Spencer, a senior who is working on Williams’ design team.
Alora Schoenberg, another senior turned designer, said she’s dreamed of being in the fashion industry since she was seven years old.
Williams decided to wear student-designed looks for the national event to help local kids achieve their goals.
“I do find that some students feel like they’re limited, which is exactly why I’m glad that we presented them with this opportunity to show them that their designs matter, their passions matter and their dreams matter,” she said.
Williams raved about the “powerful, orange” jumpsuit she’ll be wearing for interviews, which was designed by Spencer.
“I was really flattered,” Spencer said of having her design picked.
Every year, each contestant wears a custom look onstage to represent their home state. The styles are often unique and campy, paying homage to their traditions, landmarks or other symbols.
Williams’ student designers are crafting a multifaceted look for this segment. She’ll be representing both Virtus, the Roman goddess depicted on the Virginia state flag, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love — a nod to the state’s slogan, “Virginia is for Lovers.”
Schoenberg, who designed the state costume — a one-shoulder, blue draped gown — said she’s aiming for a “1950s kind of elegance” with the piece.
“When you go to a pageant competition, some of them are gaudy … so I want to do something a bit different,” she said.
Williams will be modeling the students’ looks at the Miss USA pageant on Sept. 29 in Reno, Nevada — and the prototypes live up to her expectations.
“They look just as amazing as I envisioned,” she said.
WTOP’s Sandra Jones contributed to this report.
