Prom princesses
With prom season fast approaching, teenage girls all over New York are scouring the city for their dream dresses. So The Post selected five lucky NYC high-schoolers — one from each borough — and made their wishes come true with the ultimate high-fashion treat. Each girl got a trip to the clothes closet of Teen Vogue, where she was given the perfect gown with hair and makeup to match. Here’s what the girls thought of their prom makeovers and what the magazine expert says about each teen’s new look.
DIAMOND ARRIOLA, 17, THE BRONX
The School for Excellence in The Bronx
Diamond loves Selena Gomez and she asked the magazine to use the teen pop sensation as a style inspiration when finding her prom dress. “Her stuff is not too explicit but not too tame, either,” she says. After the shoot, “it was really interesting learning the rules of the trade when it comes to photo shoots: hair, then makeup, then getting dressed. I thought my dress fit me personally: my style, which is very spunky, and my physique — I’m very small.”
Mary-Kate Steinmiller, Teen Vogue Fashion market editor, says:
“Diamond asked for something spunky, and this tutu minidress is a fantastic edgy twist on a ‘classic’ prom dress. Because Diamond is so petite, the super short skirt works well and gives her legs some length. With such a short skirt a high heel would be quite aggressive, so the quirky sparkly oxfords keep things young and add an unexpected twist while still being prom appropriate. Her neon earrings and sweetheart clutch keep it feminine with her too-cool rockabilly hair.”
NICOLE O’CONNOR, 17, STATEN ISLAND
Tottenville High School
Nicole’s favorite part about her trip to the fashion closet? The makeup. “It was neutral and classy and not over the top or crazy,” she raves. “My hair was simple and pretty. I really liked doing the shoot — it was fun and something I would never see myself doing. I like getting all dressed up!”
Mary-Kate: “Nicole loves Taylor Swift and was looking for something flowy, vintage-y and in pastel colors. This dress has a beautiful watercolor print. A print for a prom dress is an amazing way to get attention when the silhouette of the dress is rather simple. We wanted to accessorize Nicole to play up the colors in the dress and emphasize her waist. The costume jewelry necklace is perfect with the strapless dress and required no earrings once her hair was up. Nicole’s look is very romantic and soft yet the accessories make it very ‘teenage cool.’ ”
ANNA SIMONOVSKY, 17, QUEENS
The Bronx High School of Science
Anna headed into the Teen Vogue offices with a clear idea of the kind of dress she wanted — simple — and what she didn’t want: “I don’t want rhinestones, glitter, patterns or any poofiness,” she says. “I’ve always wanted to wear a long dress.” Wish granted! “I’m so excited about the dress,” she said afterward. “What I loved about the experience is that it really took me outside my comfort zone. I’m the kind of girl who wears a ponytail and jeans every day, so to have gorgeous straight hair and an elegant dress felt incredible. I felt truly beautiful . . . the experience has inspired me to try new things with my style.”
Mary-Kate: “Anna likes simple dresses, and the dress we picked is a quintessential prom dress silhouette — long and lean. The color blocking of this Decode 1.8 dress made it very modern and relevant to the bold color trends of spring ’11. To freshen it up, we added amazing multicolor crystal chandelier earrings and some bright plastic bangle bracelets. Anna loves Natalie Portman’s style, and I think this look is a younger interpretation of the long dresses and classic hair and makeup Natalie has worn to events.”
CHINYERE ADOGU, 17, BROOKLYN
Midwood High School at Brooklyn College
Chinyere was wowed by her visit to the magazine’s overflowing fashion closet. “Everyone was so friendly and funny,” she says. “They put me in a really gorgeous disco-party dress, and [the stylist] gave me a turban to put over my head. It was something different, and he had to explain to me what it was! This dress is perfect.”
Mary-Kate: “Chinyere is our party girl and had the attitude to match. She wanted something fun and funky — and this Topshop dress with its beaded trim is perfect for the dance floor. A shorter dress is unexpected for prom, but because this dress is so sparkly, it is certainly festive enough for the occasion. Chinyere is tall with long, slim legs so a short dress is a flattering option, and the fishnet tights add some style while keeping it from looking too risqué. The magenta satin heels and purple satin headband completes the look and it’s a piece that Chinyere can wear again after prom. This look is for the fashion-forward girls who want to take a risk and make a statement.”
DAPHNE HSI, 17, MANHATTAN
Professional Children’s School
Daphne is a ballerina — so when it came to styling, the inspiration was easy: “Black Swan” all the way. “I loved how they put the skirt over the dress,” says Daphne. “It was creative, different from the typical prom look, and I love the balance between pretty and edgy.”
Mary-Kate: “Daphne is quite sophisticated and elegant. Her style icons are Diane Kruger and Leighton Meester, and she loves Lanvin and Dior, so we wanted to make her super chic while still young and fresh. We put her in layers of lace, feathers, sparkle and embellishment. It’s romantic and feminine, but quite different from a typical prom look. Daphne is quite covered up and conservative, but she still manages to look alluring and stunningly beautiful because of the open back on her lace top, and the emphasis on her tiny waist.”
