Happy Holidays Everyone!
I hope that this season of love and thankfulness brings some joy to each of you. Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with this season. I LOVE all the food! But it also means I have to spend some extra time at the gym. In case you were curious, food is definitely the way to my heart.
November has been another busy month. We kicked it off with Southern States held in Arkansas. I was the last title holder for it, so with picking the theme of Gotham, I planned a fun Batman villain opening number with Valentino and Victoria. We had a blast! Lucas Prescott came out as the winner, with Jack Rabid as his 1st Alternate.
The next stop was Texas, and what a great pageant it was! Bastian Cox worked his butt off over the last year, and they had 4 incredible competitors vying for the MI title. It was also the first triple crowning for MI, Classic, and Diva in one night! Their hometown boy, Benja- min Dover, was crowned the winner, and Tucker Downtown traveled all the way from Oklahoma to earn his 1st Alternate spot and a ticket to nationals.
My final November trip was to Evansville, Indiana. I was so excited to finally work with Jody and Tiffani! Xander Havoc also had 4 boys jump in to compete for Mister Indiana, and let me tell you, the evening wears that night were all gorgeous! It was a stiff competition for sure. At the end of the night, Alik Muf emerged victorious with his home state title. Shane Anigans placed 1st Alternate.
The list of qualified contestants is growing quickly, and time is slipping away faster and faster. December will bring me to Louisiana, Missouri, and Tennessee, to add 6 more people to the list. For those who have qualified now is the time to make a list and start checking it twice!
Get stones ordered, kick up rehearsals, enlist trusted brothers for critiques and advice. March is approaching and it will be here before you realize it.
Let’s talk about evening wear for a minute. The great part about our system is that this category is labeled as creative evening wear. The one rule? There has to be a jacket included. That means, let us see your creativity! Stones are great, and pretty, and a lovely embellishment. But what else can you add? How can you stand out? There are only so many stones you can put on a suit (believe me, I know), so what can you do to really be the guy whose suit pops off the stage? Fabric, paint, studs, spikes, gears, feathers, there are so many things out there that can be included. Give your suit a theme and a personality, and let your creativity flow. I’ve heard some really incredible ideas from contestants this year, and I promise you, this is the year to amp it up and stand out. These boys are serious about their evening wear, and I absolutely can’t wait to see them all on stage.
As I may have said before, this is my favorite time of year. Holidays were always a big deal to my family, and I’m so lucky that this year, my job is allowing me the time to be able to spend Christmas Day back home with my biological family. I’m looking forward to all the love and giving December brings. I ask each of you to find a little extra love in your heart this year, and give it out to those around you. You never know who needs that smile, hug, or kind word.
Enjoy your December, Happy Holidays, and I look forward to 2017!
Abs Hart
Mister USofA MI