Teen girls in the Los Angeles foster care system will be outfitted with free prom dresses, shoes, and accessories on Saturday, March 9 and Sunday, March 10, 2013. The event to be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center is put on by the Glamour Gowns Committee in conjunction with CASA of Los Angeles. The event is sponsored by partners such as philanthropic organization S.H.A.R.E, Inc., women’s shoe manufacturer Chinese Laundry, L.A. City Councilmember Jan Perry and others.
Volunteers (age 18+ only please) are especially needed for set-up on March 8 (10am-1pm or 1pm-4pm) and tear-down on March 10 (12pm-4pm). Also, female volunteers only are needed for the dress giveaway (March 9, 9am-1pm and 1pm-5pm; March 10, 9am-4pm). To sign up, email glamourvolunteers@gmail.com or call 323.859.2888 ext 9017.
Volunteer hair stylists (two shifts: March 9 (10am-5pm) and March 10 (10am-2pm) should email dleclair@studiodnasalon.com. Please provide your name, phone number, and indicate for which shift(s) you would be able to participate.
Glamour Gowns is a private event, only open to high school aged girls in foster care in Los Angeles County. The event is not open to the general public. Pre-Registration is required for all foster girls who wish to participate. Participants may register with their name and their CSW’s name by contacting Melvy at 323.782.1925 or emailing glamourgowns@quantumcoaching.com. The deadline for registering is March 4.
Now in its twelfth year, Glamour Gowns is an annual event that provides formal attire to any prom aged young woman in the Los Angeles foster care system. Thus far, Glamour Gowns has provided more than 5,000 dresses to young women who may not have otherwise been able to receive them. More than 350 young ladies will receive dresses this year. Donated dresses are brand new, as are the shoes, accessories and foundation items that each young lady receives. Hairstyling and make-up instruction is provided by Studio DNA Salons and other volunteer stylists.
There are more than 26,000 children under the jurisdiction of the dependency court in Los Angeles County and more than 18,000 live in foster care. Financial circumstances often do not allow for “non-essential” yet important items like prom dresses or attire for formal dances. Glamour Gowns seeks to create lasting, positive memories for milestone events like proms, in the lives of young ladies who have often endured and overcome difficult circumstances.
The Glamour Gowns event is produced and managed by a dedicated committee of women who volunteer their time and resources. Members of I.A.T.S.E. Motion Picture Costumers Local 705, Costume Designers Guild Local 892 and Theatrical Wardrobe Union Local 768 donate their time to help each young lady find the perfect dress. A team of seamstresses volunteers for the day to help each young lady achieve the proper fit of her dress. A volunteer who serves as a “personal shopper” assists each young lady.
This year’s items and services are donated by apparel and beauty industry entities including: Chinese Laundry, Masquerade formal wear, Studio DNA Salon, Proctor & Gamble, Neutrogena, DesignerKaren, Jenette Bras, Shiraleah, Wella professional products, and others.
The Glamour Gowns Committee
| Sandi Romero-Boada, Chair Kristen DeLeo, Co-Chair Karen Braverman-Freeman Carolyn Dessert-Lauterio Brenda Galloway Stacy Horn Sue Marshall |
Tracee Maxwell Anissa McNeil Jennifer Parker-Stanton Michaela Pereira Joanne Solov Cortez Wilks Christine Yick |
About Chinese Laundry
CHINESE LAUNDRY was launched in 1981. With groundbreaking styles season after season, Chinese Laundry lives at the forefront of fashion footwear for young women. Chinese Laundry is the perfect combination of outstanding quality and value with a unique and inspired point of view. For more information, visit www.chineselaundry.com.
About Masquerade
DJ Bronson, a Los Angeles based Special Occasion dress manufacturer, is proud to participate in CASA’s Glamour Gown Giveaway by donating current Masquerade Prom dresses for the event. Masquerade Prom Dresses have been a part of the Glamour Gown Giveaway for the past five years.
About S.H.A.R.E., Inc.
SHARE, Inc. is a non-profit philanthropic organization composed of women who are passionately dedicated and committed to raising funds for the developmentally disabled, abused, and neglected children. For more information, visit www.share4children.org.
About Studio DNA
Studio DNA is a full service retail salon founded by Danny LeClair and Aubrey Loots. With two locations (Santa Monica and Los Angeles), services include hair, makeup, image consulting a and retail therapy. For more information, visit www.studiodnasalon.com.
About Jenette Bras
Jenette Goldstein, a nationally recognized bra fit expert featured by everyone from InStyle magazine to the Wall Street Journal, opened her boutique JENETTE BRAS in 2009. The niche lingerie store whose slogan is: the alphabet starts at ‘D’, specializes in traditional bra fitting and offers a wide selection of full cup European bras and swimwear. JENETTE BRAS has locations in Pasadena and Hollywood. For more information, visit www.jenettebras.com.
For media inquiries, contact Brian McWilliams at Spelling Communications, bmcwilliams@spellcom.com, 310.838.4010.
