Kelly Saiz
Reporter
On Saturday, seniors hit the runway at the eighth annual Starry Nite of Style, the post-prom fundraiser. This year, the hour-long show featured over 90 models wearing an array of prom and post-prom fashions.
Starry Nite of Style has never had so many participants. “We have a record number of kids this year. We didn’t say no to anybody, they were great!” Co-Chair Bridget Robustelli said.
The seniors were only required to attend one meeting, fitting, and dress rehearsal in preparation for the show. Everything came together in the end, with the last day of fittings just four days before the show date.
The program was divided into two acts, the first being a tribute to New Canaan with clothes straight from stores in town: Rugby, True Blue, Dorothy Mann, Togs, and Potpourri Designs. Act two encompassed formal wear from Stamford’s A Step Ahead and Norwalk’s Camillo Tuxedo Specialists. “We’re showcasing fashions from these stores and we want to make sure that these clothes are beautifully represented,” Co-Chair Lisa Smith said. Also, models made it to Cherry Street Salon and Benefit in the hours before the show for hair and makeup.
Senior emcees Dolly Meckler and Peter Gronseth introduced the act one fashions. Hannah Herde and Joe Gallo emceed the second half. Also, before the show student band Ballet for Athletes played in the lobby, and between acts, the audience was entertained by singing group NC Sound. Ms. Smith said that seniors looked forward to the show. “They seem to be very excited, perhaps because there are so many seniors modeling this year,” she said.
Co-Chairs Martie Mackay, Ms. Robustelli, and Ms. Smith have been working on the project for seven months. “We have a slew of volunteers who have been incredibly helpful. We’ve had a lot of fun,” Ms. Mackay said.
The show also involved several dynamics aside from fashion, including music, food, raffle prizes, hair, and makeup. Raffle prizes were 2 tickets to a taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a pre-prom glamour package from Benefit, and a 50/50 cash prize.
The models walked with personality and were met with cheers and applause from the audience. The experience fulfilled Ms. Smith’s wish that the show would be a success. “The primary reason for doing the show is that it is the only fundraiser for post-prom,” she said, “but the other reason that is equally important to us is that all of the seniors in the show have a great time and that the audience enjoys the show as much as the models do.”
Photos by Kelly Saiz
