Meet the team behind The Prom Den in Horsforth and Brighouse

Local TV

The family behind 'The Prom Den' in Horsforth and Brighouse have been reflecting on how an upsetting prom dress experience turned into a thriving venture into the industry.

Transcript

00:00The idea of the business started following my experience choosing my prom dress.

00:04I was made to feel much larger than what I was and that no dresses fit me when I went choosing prom dresses.

00:10I was only like a size 10, which doesn't make any difference when you come choosing your dress.

00:14And we kind of wanted to make what is meant to be such a special moment between, you know,

00:18mother and daughter and the family, because sometimes your grandmas, dads, anyone else can come to the appointments.

00:23We wanted to make it much more of a nicer experience for everyone involved,

00:27because it's just as much a good experience that for me is what it should be for my mum choosing and helping me choose my prom dress.

00:33When we first set up the prom den, we did it at the side of the house just because we didn't know how well it would go.

00:40And then it's expanded now. I think we've been going for eight seasons.

00:45Yeah, eight seasons. So we moved to the shopping brick house at first and then we expanded then into Horsforth.

00:52My journey at the prom den actually started when I booked that appointment.

00:55I booked the appointment to come visit here and I chose my prom dress.

00:59And then in the end, Donna asked me if I wanted the job.

01:02And then since then, that's where I've been working. So I absolutely love it.

01:05And now obviously I'm managing the Horsforth store.

01:08So a bit more independence for myself. And I absolutely love it.

01:12The prom itself, like really, as soon as the girls step into that year 11,

01:15they know that that's their final year at school.

01:17And prom is that kind of mark off from finishing school, doing all your exams.

01:21And it's just a massive celebration that now, as soon as the girls have finished that year 10,

01:26going into the summer holidays, that's a good focus that they have for the year.

01:30So we find that girls are coming earlier and earlier.

01:32They want in to secure that style.

01:34So coming in during the summer holidays and properly in September,

01:38it makes that final year so much more stress-free for them as well,

01:42because they know they've got the dress.

01:44It ticks that off. They can figure out how they want their hair and makeup and the handbags and all that jazz.

01:49And then slowly, obviously, they come to that collection.

01:51They're having their exams. And then it just marks off that final year.

01:55I feel for me, it's that special moment.

01:56As soon as that prom girl enters the room, you want to create that memory for them,

02:01as that's a lifetime chance.

02:02I think for me, it's not just about the prom girl.

02:04It's about giving the experience as well to the family.

02:07We're very proud and quite honoured of our community spirit, really, aren't we?

02:11That we're not a big corporate business.

02:13We are a family-run business.

02:15But we have so much support locally, whether it be in Horsforth or Brighouse,

02:19because we have the store in Brighouse too.

02:21And lots of schools come to us if they need help with a certain girl that can't afford a prom dress.

02:27And we do work closely with schools to help to support that.

02:31Make sure everyone can go to prom.

02:32To make sure everyone can go to prom.

02:33I think it makes me really happy to turn what was a negative experience for me

02:38into such a positive for people.

02:40And I think, like, just from my own experience, I can relate to someone.

02:44And, you know, I don't necessarily share what I went through to people,

02:48but it's just you can relate to them that if they have been somewhere

02:50and had not a nice experience, that you're actually like,

02:52look, we can make this into a positive for you.

02:55Or some girls that, you know, come on in, they don't have much confidence.

02:58Giving them that confidence.

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