McLean High School started its prom countdown with a Gotham-style fashion show in the cafeteria, which presented gowns and tuxedos in a myriad of styles. Tickets for the June 12 prom at Army Navy Country Club go on sale this week, but students have been planning for the event for some time. The theme this year is Starry Night.
“The purpose of the fashion show is to promote ticket sales to the prom,” said PTA member Lisa Colaianni, who helped put on the event. “Working with teenagers is the hardest part. It’s a lot, but it’s fun, because you can see the kids start to get excited,” said Colaianni.
Student coordinator Kathleen McDonald used her fashion sense and academic knowledge to put together the runway event. “I’m in fashion class, so I had some experience with this,” said Kathleen. “This helps to get the idea of prom in people’s minds and what’s going to be in fashion for prom,” Kathleen said.
The runway show was narrated by two teenage boys, who expressed genuine excitement over the prom dresses on display. Tyson Colaianni, one of the announcers, said, “I think I’m a pretty funny guy, so I thought I’d give this a try. It seemed like a good idea, you know. I think everyone enjoyed themselves here today.”
Dresses this year ranged from short, flouncy numbers to elegant, full-length, designer pieces. “One of the girls here is wearing a dress that costs $700,” said Lisa Colaianni. The shorter dresses met with rave approval from the male population of McLean High School. Tyson Colaianni gushed over one such dress, saying, “That’s a very, very, nice little orange dress.”
The prom dresses were donated for the day by Jessica McClintock and Lord & Taylor.
The boys were not left out of the fashion show. There were several styles of tuxedos that highlighted the range of options available. The white-on-white tuxedo drew applause from the crowd, as did the classic black tuxedo. Several local formal-wear companies donated the tuxedos for the day.
This year Service International Limousine Service, which parked a limousine out in front of McLean’s infamous rock for the event, will donate 10 percent of the cost of a limousine booked for prom back to the junior class.
“This is really just the start of it. There’s a lot to be done between now and the prom,” said Lisa Colaianni, of the details yet to be worked out.
Tickets for the prom are $40 each.