6 decades of dazzle: fashion designer Stevens E. Moore creates gown fit for queens.

Displayed in sequined splendor encircling thick crowds of admirers, gowns suited for royalty created a stunning backdrop for a recent celebration of the long career of Hattiesburg dress designer Stevens E. Moore. With over six decades of experience, "S.E." creates everything from pageant dresses for Miss America contestants to window treatments and bridal gowns.

"What is on display is a tiny fraction of what he has done," said Jane Ezell as the Hattiesburg Arts Council paid tribute to Moore at the city's Cultural Center. "No two are alike. He pairs the gown with the individual so well."

Moore's styles reflect the spirits of the women who have worn them, substantiating the repeated claims that he creates with an eye for unique yet tasteful design.

"When he fits you, he takes the material in hand and molds it to your body while developing the design," said Ezell, who has known Moore since 1968. "He'll pick up the scissors and just 'whack, whack, whack' while you're still in it, adjusting necklines and waistlines on a whim. I've never seen him use a pattern."

Mardi Gras queens like Diane Warren of Petal marvel at Moore's ability to adapt his work to the specifications required of carnival and pageant royalty. He has created costumes for queens and court in Mobile and New Orleans, as well as the breathtaking black gown worn by 1986 Miss America Susan Akin.

"You show up, he measures you, he asks if you want long or short sleeves, and that pretty much is all he needs to know," said Warren, who served as Queen of the Krewe of Elks in Hattiesburg in 2001. "I saw my completed dress for the first time on the night of carnival and was absolutely thrilled with it."

Born to Stevens and Lyda Moore, S.E. grew up in Hattiesburg and learned to sew when he was 12 by watching his mother. He took to the art with an innate sense of style--and a lead foot.

"I learned to sew on a treadle machine, the kind that runs on foot power," said Moore. "I treadled many a mile of ruffle back then." He soon discovered what he called a God-given gift for making dresses and transitioned to sewing on an electric Singer.

"We bought a Singer sewing machine before the end of the war," said Moore. "Back then, bobbins didn't hold much thread. So although in many ways it was easier with an electric machine, I sure hated changing out all those bobbins."

Moore studied at Parsons School of Design in New York City and received a degree in art and marketing from the University of Southern Mississippi, where he also created the first costumes for the Dixie Darlings dance team. As a young adult, he made a name for himself among circles of friends, family, and business associates who gladly reaped the benefits of having a world-class designer right around the corner.

"I don't know how we have kept him here," said former Hattiesburg mayor Bobby Chain. "He could have worked anywhere, and he chose to come back here."

Moore's work for theater productions and community events established the designer as an invaluable fixture for providing wardrobes and evening gowns. Admirer and friend David Halliwell attributed Moore's longevity in the business to the level of quality and satisfaction he offers his clients.

"He's been a friend of the family for four generations," said Halliwell. "S.E. used to get my mother, Betty Halliwell, to do bound buttonholes for him. Apparently, he despised having to do those, so he got her to sew them. He made a dress for my sister, who was queen of Zeus in 1977. Many years later, my daughter wore that same dress. When you see all the amazing beadwork that is done on those dresses, you have to wonder how anybody could do all that."

Distinguished mother-of-the-bride dresses, sweet debutante gowns, and stunning cocktail creations allude to sentimental tales of rosy-cheeked girls coming of age and nervous brides marching down the aisle, of spotlights and catwalks, shining moments made spectacular at the hands of a man behind a Singer sewing machine.

"Look closely at these dresses, and you may see things like a touch of mascara or other imperfections," said Dr. Brantley Pace of Monticello, who with his family holds a large collection of Moore's gowns. "Real people wore these dresses. Each one represents a high water mark in the lives of countless people."

Arts Council president Mary Ann Stewart likened Moore's amazing assemblage of dresses to a gallery of fine art.

"Each dress is like his own piece of artwork," she said. "Most gowns today are bought from department stores where they are mass-produced, not created in someone's home. His pieces are truly timeless."

Speaking fondly of the women for whom he has designed hundreds of gowns, Moore shared that one of his most memorable clients was Dianne Evans, second runner-up to Miss America in 1983.

"Working with Dianne Evans was very special," said Moore. "She's just a super, super, super woman. I made a beige dress for her first Miss Mississippi pageant. She competed three times. I added stuff to that beige dress every year until she won. It was covered in rhinestones by the time she wore it to Atlantic City."

As times have evolved, Moore's designs have retained a sense of classic style. He chafed at the direction bridal style has taken in recent years.

"I've done many, many wedding gowns, but not so much any more," said Moore. "You know, used to, a bride couldn't enter the church without something on her head. Things were covered. Now, there's strapless dresses, all kinds of exposure. I'm not into that. I think a wedding gown should be classy, more like an evening gown."

Energetic and far from retirement at age 80, S.E. Moore vows to sew as long as possible.

"As long as I'm alive, I'll keep sewing," said Moore. "I love the people, the real people I've come to know doing this. If I can give them something to feel good about, I'm happy. I believe it's better to give than to receive. What's life without being able to do that? They have given me so much, and I am so very grateful."

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIANNE TODD