Prom Queen
Something happened in the years between King and Queen of Hearts, Zapped, Pretty in Pink, Princess Diaries and Gossip Girl. Somehow, 16- and 17-year-olds have become hipper, more sophisticated and auteur-esque.
“Rarely do I come across a junior or senior high school student who asks for a pink gown with a bow,” observes designer Rem Divino. “Now the girls are coming over and asking for gowns inspired by Black Swan.
Luis de los Santos agrees. “Cute is definitely not in the vocabulary of these teens. Like prom-goers in the past, young ladies are inspired by TV and film. The difference is in the types of shows and movies they watch. It seems that no one wants to be a princess any more.”
Ivan dela Cruz shares, “I get several requests for dresses. They prefer longer silhouettes though. No pouf skirts.”
Divino says, “I do not think the girls want to look older. It may be that in the digital age, teens have more access to information and as a result, they are in many ways more current on what is happening in our society and the world around us than those who were in their teens during the pre-digital era. And though it may seem like such a stretch, this reflects in their choice of clothes.”
For this year, each designer worked loosely on a theme. Luis de los Santos chose a Retro ‘20s feel with attention to beaded embellishments. Rem Divino played up to the Black Swan feel using black and white hues; Ronaldo Arnaldo had Old Hollywood on his mind with a preference for halter and one-shoulder tops; Ivan de la Cruz opted for sleek, flowing silhouettes; and Ole Morabe gave his rendition of Oscar night fashion.
