Durban - The matric dance – for many young girls and boys it’s the epitome of their high school existence. A single monumental moment that represents the end of one phase in their lives and the clear beginning of another.
It’s when everyone wants to look their very best and usually this means mom and dad coughing up a great deal of cash.
While the event seems to be an opportunity for each to be their own – to show who they uniquely are or hope to be in adulthood – that’s not quite what happens. Girls in particular tend to slip into princess mode and out come the tiaras, pink Christmas tree dresses and – or worse – the Kardashians and Rihanna.
Rather than preach to those who protest and will win – we decided to celebrate the mania that is the “princess prom” by borrowing a few “traditional” dresses from two of Durban’s most popular dress hire stores.
Pre-planning
We also asked one of Durban’s hottest designers for those scintillating, sexy dresses that are so wrong, but so “in” with this set.
We found that whether pre-planning for their wedding day or perhaps pretending to be walking down the red carpet at the Oscars there are some commonalities that young girls are looking for. Like the really short, age-inappropriate dress – that on trend, has to be sheer; or the corseted, frilly bouffant dress that is as frou-frou as it comes.
Oddly, just as popular right now is plain Jane – and the Grecian dress is just up her alley – no bling what-so-ever and a clean-cut silhouette.
We dressed debut model Jayde in a few of the dresses we found at the kind of after-party most parents will wish for, but come to think of it, their daughters are likely to kiss a clown that night either way. - Omeshnie Naidoo, The Mercury
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Locations: Mr Funtubbles Family Funfair, Gateway
Photographer: Jacques Naude
Freelance Model: Jayde
Hair: Gerald Wells Hair Professionals, Gateway
Make-up: Kezia Myatt from Lindsay Nixon Make-Up
Outfits: Just Prom: 031 208 4275 or www.justpromdurban.com
Cinderella: 031 563 8776 or www.cinderella.co.za
Zarth by Zama Mathe: 031 201 2319