Lights, cameras, showtime: the Senior Fashion show was the first major fundraiser organized by the class of 2024 this year, which took place on November 7th at the Hellenic Center. Though the class officers helped coordinate everyone, this annual event is actually primarily parent run. Parent volunteer Julie Princi described it as “…a parent-driven fundraiser to raise money for all of the school activities for the seniors throughout the year.” Parents were invited to watch 75 senior models strut down the aisle in outfits from local businesses in an authentic fashion show setting. A number of underclassmen also came to support their peers, as cheaper student tickets were sold at the door.
In addition to the show, there was an on-site silent auction with items donated by parents and local businesses. Prizes included gift certificates, decorated baskets, sports tickets, and even pickleball lessons. Profits from the show will be used by the senior class to fund future events like senior prom and senior week. The show was announced by Thomas Strangman and Harper Rees, who both did a phenomenal job commentating and added their own twist to the script.
Some of the clothing styles models wore included formal/prom attire, athletic gear, snowsport gear, and local seasonal attire. Betsy Frost, Luxa Jewelry, Giblees, Ipswich Country Club Pro Shop, Makuwa Swimwear, and Consignment Bridal and Prom are some examples of the 20 local businesses who lent outfits to the class of 2024 for the show.
I had the opportunity to interview senior model Angelica De La Cruz about her fitting experience at Consignment Bridal and Prom. De La Cruz signed up to be a model because she “thought it would be a fun senior activity to participate in.” In addition to having two dresses from Consignment Bridal and Prom, she was assigned an outfit from the Ipswich boutique Luxa Jewelry.
When describing her fitting experience at the consignment store, De La Cruz said, “…I got to look around the dresses and pick the ones I liked.” Her overall experience with the business was good, but “not every dress fits how you want it to, and it took a while [to find my two dresses],” she added. De La Cruz ended up choosing a floor length ruched pink gown, and a strapless yellow one. She thinks the show is “…a great way to support the senior class.”
For a different behind the scenes perspective, I also conducted an interview with Princi about her role as a parent organizer. She explained that she signed up to help because she “just likes to volunteer, and support all [her] kid’s classes, and [she] loves fashion so it was win-win.” Princi was responsible for the 10 male models assigned to Giblees, a suit store in Danvers. These models were assigned to Giblees simply based on “who was available, because they had to get in quick to get fitted in order to get the tuxes on time.”
According to Princi, an incentive for businesses to participate in this show is “[s]o that they can promote their business…” She added that “they are allowed to have a piece read about each store, and add any coupons to like a table that they are going to have set aside for each company.” She hoped all parents would attend, commenting, “who wouldn’t want to see their teens all dressed up? It’s a show- so I feel like to support that and to see how good they all look.”
