While the Miss USA pageant may not be the self-proclaimed “World Championship of Beauty” (that, friends, is Miss Universe), organizers did shake things up this year with the inclusion of social media. Viewers were invited to tweet their final questions to one of the top five contestants, with judge Rob Kardashian doing the honors of reading it aloud. Miss Rhode Island, Olivia Culpo, picked the Twitter question — “Would you feel it would be fair that a transgender woman wins the Miss USA title over a natural-born woman?” — and answered it with aplomb, earning her the crown. But more importantly, there was a brand-new introduction segment!
Gone are the days when the contestants open with a synchronized dance before sashaying to a mic to proclaim their name and state. This time around, Miss USA went high(er)-fashion with a five-part runway show featuring the designs of Sherry Hill. Beginning with “A Day at the Races,” which included wide-brimmed hats, gloves, and business-casual blazers, the show segued into “Silver and Gold,” involving metallic gowns. The third segment was “High Glam Rock Star Style,” starring an array of rhinestone-covered jackets over jewel-toned gowns before leading into “Champagne Collections,” a more traditional pageant-style parade of gowns. The spectacle closed with “The Debutante Collection.”
See highlights from the runway (and its very enthusiastic front row) — and find out who had a pet goat, when exactly to employ the word glamorized, and how a dress could be compared to a school bus in the video ahead.
