In continuation of last year’s successful storefront, leadership students Olivia Villanova and Charlotte Lacy have put countless hours into a new and improved prom boutique with a target audience that has expanded to all of Marin.
Last year, now-graduated seniors Caroline Goodrich and Micheal Geloso realized that prom can, in many ways, exclude those from socioeconomic backgrounds as the high attire, transportation and ticket prices are inaccessible for many. With this in mind, the pair brainstormed the idea of a boutique that would provide dresses, tuxes and accessories free of charge. The project extended beyond Redwood’s doors and with the help of The Village at Corte Madera, a storefront was opened to create an in-person shopping experience.
David Plescia, an advisor to Redwood leadership, wants this year’s prom boutique to attract not just Redwood students, but all Marin students needing prom attire.
“We are [trying to use our] social media [platform to help advertise the boutique] which will hopefully get other high schools, like Archie [Williams] and Marin Catholic to visit the boutique,” Plescia said.
To attract a broader audience outside of Redwood, nearly six months of planning has been needed to improve and revise the blueprint of last year’s boutique. Senior Olivia Villanova was a large contributor to this process.
“This year, there are a lot more dresses. We have a lot more to offer, and the space is twice, if not three
times bigger than it was last year,” Villanova said. This year, the dress selection has grown from around 300 dresses to nearly 600. “Most of the dresses we received from companies, but we also have some really great people in the community that give donations.”
Leadership students organized the beautiful selection of donated dresses in their new storefront. Christine Miller, senior marketing manager of The Village at Corte Madera, is credited with integrating this storefront into the project.
“Caroline Goodrich reached out to me at first [last year]. She said, ‘We have this idea about a prom boutique,’ and she didn’t want something in the gym; she wanted something more elevated, a destination where kids would really want to come,” said Miller. Miller further expresses how a critical element of this boutique is it being approachable for high school students.
“I want the girls and guys to feel comfortable. I don’t want them to think there’s any weird vibe or think they’re there because they need a dress. The whole thing is [more about], ‘How fun is this?’ And it really looks like a store, so it’s very approachable,” Miller said.
The boutique will be open for Redwood students only on Mar. 22, from 4-7, and then to all of Marin on Mar. 23 and 24, from 11-5, Mar. 29, from 4-7 and Mar. 30, from 11-5. For any additional questions, email [email protected].
