Vogue is back.

In a stunning display where modern meets vintage, Miss Missouri and Miss Missouri’s Teen delegates performed Vogue-inspired routines to kick off the 2026 Miss Missouri competition.

The captivating production was produced by Erin Engelmeyer of Mexico. When she competed in 1993, the opening number was also Vogue-inspired, but Engelmeyer said it wasn’t in the “Devil Wears Prada” way people think of today. Instead, the 1993 production featured grand ball gowns with hoop skirts and ornate fans. This year’s production features a modern take on the classic theme.

“It's been really fun to have that memory of Vogue and to then recreate it this year,” Engelmeyer said.

Engelmeyer was crowned Miss Missouri in 1995, which sent her to the 75th-anniversary competition of the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City. Her talent was tap dance. After her competitive career ended, Engelmeyer was the show’s producer for more than 15 years.

“I took a little time off when my kids were getting older, so it’s really fun to step back into the role,” she said. “It’s the same production team, so it’s really fun to come back and work with an incredible team and, obviously, the volunteers in this community that make it so special.”

In years prior, when Erica Hebron was the show’s producer, delegates were given the choreography months in advance, but Engelmeyer does things a bit differently. Aside from a few walking patterns and limited choreography during orientation in April, the Miss and Teen delegates did not know the production numbers until their arrival in Mexico.

“We threw some choreography at them earlier this week, and they’ve done just an incredible job picking it up,” Engelmeyer said.

Engelmeyer has a long-standing history with the Miss Missouri Scholarship Organization that began before she was ever a competitor.

“I was a page when I was in high school,” she said. “I volunteered and stayed in the dorm with the contestants, and then in 1990, my first year of college, I decided to start competing.”

Entering the Miss Missouri Scholarship Organization in college is not unheard of, though generally, delegates’ pageant careers start much earlier in life. But Wednesday’s emcee, Hailey Leach-Stratton, found herself on a similar path.

Like Engelmeyer, Leach-Stratton is also a former Miss Missouri who got her start in the organization when she was “older.” She started small, competing in local county fair pageants as a way to step outside her comfort zone in Kentucky in the early 2000s.

“I caught the pageant bug,” she said. “I watched Miss America and dreamed of making it to Miss America one day.”

She achieved her lifelong goal of making it to the Miss America stage in 2023 at 25 years old during her second year of law school.

“I was so pleased to represent Missouri because Missouri has welcomed me with open arms ever since I moved here to attend law school, and now I’m a full-time resident,” Leach-Stratton said.

Leach-Stratton moved to Missouri to attend law school at Washington University. She graduated in 2025, and since passing the Missouri bar, has worked as a full-time attorney at Kennedy Hunt, P.C., a plaintiff’s civil rights firm.

“I do special education, fair housing and employment litigation, and that actually connects to my work as Miss Missouri because my CSI was around autism awareness, acceptance and inclusion,” she said.

Her community service initiative was inspired by her brother, Matthew Leach’s, autism diagnosis. Matthew continues to be an integral part of her advocacy efforts. Recently, Leach-Stratton and her brother were speakers at the Thompson Center for Autism, and she was also invited to Qatar for a global autism conference.

While the glamor of being a Miss Missouri delegate showcasing her skills on stage is certainly a draw for many, Leach-Stratton said the community service aspect is a powerful outlet.

“I think that goes to show the impact that this organization has and the doors that it can open for young women,” she said. “All in all, having something that ties you to the community gets you out there, interacting with different organizations and promoting something that is meaningful to you is so important.”

Leach-Stratton will return to the stage as emcee Thursday night.

Miss Missouri Sigma and Miss Missouri’s Teen Sash delegates are expected to face off in fitness, on-stage question and evening gown. Miss Missouri Alpha and Miss Missouri's Teen Crown delegates will compete in the talent portion of the competition.

For more photos, see The Mexico Ledger’s online photo galleries.