Penncrest's Fashion Show Makes Colorful Splash to Fund After-Prom

The 2011 AM Prom Committee pulled together a spectacular showcase of dazzling dresses and super suave tuxes for its annual fashion show. Aided by tons of local vendors such as Sorella, the Van Cleve Collections, Bedazzled and Cimino's Tailoring, student models were able to stylishly show off their individual personalities and charm throughout the show.

The AM Prom Committee has been throwing a fashion show for many years in order to fund the AM Prom (or after-prom), which is a huge event that takes place after the senior prom. The goal is to give students a safe place to go and have fun through the night into the a.m. hours of the morning.

"We just want our kids to be safe," said Leslie Bullitt, a committee member.

Before all the glitz and glamour, attendees participated in a silent auction. The hallways of Penncrest were lined with goodies ranging from Joseph Anthony Spa gift certificates to Key West vacations. There were also lots of giveaways from local restaurants such as Trattoria Giuseppe and Fresco's. For those already planning their prom ensemble there was a tux rental giveaway, a pair of designer Coach sunglasses and even a gorgeous black pearl necklace.

The show was filled with laughs and a lot of school pride. Once the lights went down, the volume went up as the auditorium filled with disco favs like, "It's Raining Men." The first round of models came down the aisle complete with choreographed dance moves. Penncrest students really knew how to keep the energy going by mixing classic disco tunes with today's popular songs.

Student models and emcees kept the crowd entertained with their unique struts down the runway. Each couple showed style and humor with every outfit they wore.

The students really loved what they got to model. Peisong Ouyang, senior and male model, loved the light green vest he wore first in the show. He said it would definitely be something he would wear to his real prom. Another senior, John Allen, didn't mind his black tux with bright pink vest and tie combo.

"Pink is manly," he confirmed.

Any bright color seemed to be manly this prom season. Very few plain black tuxes were worn, instead many models showed off bright vibrant vests in shades of coral and turquoise.

On the girls' side, the dresses were even brighter. The traditional little black dress has become a thing of the pass. Girls wore long flowing gowns with splashes of colors. Shorter, cocktail length dresses were also popular.

Bonnie Holm, a senior, said she liked the flowing material of her dress, but loved the bejeweled back even more. Her favorite part of preparing for the event was "being able to try on all of the different dresses at Sorella's."

The afternoon ended with a slideshow featuring the prom pictures of the students' teachers. Committee co-chair Cheryl Brown said she thought this would be sentimental and fun for the students. Brown and her committee even found pictures from some of seniors' teachers from grade school. It was a classy ending to a stylish event.