Prom dress show is a runway hit

Darleene Barrientos

Diana Taweel thought she had already chosen her prom dress, but that

was before she volunteered to model dresses Saturday for the prom

fashion show put on by Macy’s and Seventeen magazine.

Diana, 17, wore two stylish dresses -- one was an orange satin

gown with a sequined top, and the other was a pink, flaring evening

dress with a black, embroidered bodice.

“I liked the pink dress, because it reminded me of Audrey Hepburn,

and I love classics,” Diana said. She thought she had decided on

wearing a dress she once wore for a fashion show at her debutante

ball.

“I thought I was going to wear that one, but now I’m not sure,”

she said.

The event was organized as a chance for girls to get a look at

this season’s prom dress offerings and also help the girls choose the

best dresses for their bodies. The event’s theme was “Shop for Your

Shape,” and about 200 people were on hand to watch volunteer models

from the National Charity League of Glendale sashay down the catwalk,

win prizes and get a sneak peek on what’s in this season.

Elizabeth Will, 15, watched most of the show and liked the

ensembles that were more wild, such as one with fishnets or another

with cheetah-print shoes. Watching a show is better than shopping,

she said.

“You can see it better on the girls,” Elizabeth said. “Usually,

when you see the dress flat, you can’t see how it moves, and how it

moves on a girl.”

The show also featured a demonstration of what types of dresses

might look best on different types of bodies. Ferida Gasardzhyan, 21,

didn’t like most of the offerings but appreciated the shape

demonstration.

“I think that’s pretty good, because not everybody is all thin,”

Gasardzhyan said.

The event was also a chance for the nonprofit organization Cara’s

Clothes to garner some attention. The organization accepts donations

and gently-used formal wear for underprivileged girls, who want to

attend their proms but cannot because they can’t afford a dress.

“I love shopping, and I love dances,” said 16-year-old Cara Polisini, who heads up the organization. “I would feel horrible if I

couldn’t go just because I couldn’t get a dress. Luckily my parents

can afford to get dresses for me, but unfortunately that’s not the

case for everyone.”

For more information about Cara’s Clothes or to donate, call (805)

494-7860 or e-mail fuzzyblue@dslextreme.com.