It’s 4 p.m. on a Wednesday, and the sewing room at Chelsea’s High
School of Fashion Industries is buzzing. Students frantically stitch
pearls onto gowns, fix frayed seams and puzzle over why the garment on
the dress form doesn’t quite match their sketch. At one point, Rafa
Sultana — a petite 12th-grader in a cream brocade tunic — goes over to
her blue two-piece ensemble and lops off a good 6 inches from the hem.“I wanted to put a little cape on the back or the side, but I didn’t
have enough fabric,” says Sultana. “We’ll see how it turns out.”Sultana is one of 15 HSFI students designing outfits for the New York Public Library’s Anti-Prom, which takes place Friday evening….
Anti-Prom started in 2004 as a free event for kids who felt they
didn’t fit in at, or couldn’t afford, their own prom. Participants don’t
need a date, LGBTQ youth can bring their partners and creative dress
and costumes are welcome. In 2011, the library asked HSFI students to
harness the skills they learned in their classes and design wild,
fantastical outfits for the event, to be worn by themselves or by their
friends. In the years since, the event has evolved into a huge party,
with an annual runway show, giveaways and dancing. Some 350 students
from all over the five boroughs attend.
Anti-Prom dresses are cooler than actual prom dresses
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