Glitter, sequins, silk, lace, and more: the much anticipated West High Prom at the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens brought a wave of fashion forward looks. The theme this year: “Baile de Mascaras”, a Masquerade. Some students chose to include masks or gloves with their outfits to accentuate the theme, while others did not. Regardless, everyone was dazzling in their own way at the dance.

   Nene Nakagomi (11) decided to go to Prom with a black and gold dress that she thrifted, gold chain earrings, and a gold necklace. The dress was covered in a floral design and wowed the crowd. Nakagomi noted that she chose the dress because she loved the corset aspect of the dress and how well it fit into the theme.

   In her last year at West High, Kylie Dawson (12) wore a “black silk satin corset slip dress” from House of CB, a boutique in LA. Dawson sewed her own crystal embellishments onto her dress and had the crystal strands hanging around her arms and bodice of the dress. Dawson commented that she chose this dress because “as a fashion designer I am always looking for new ways to innovate fashion. As my birthday is April 21st and I’m a Taurus and my birthstone is a diamond, I thought it was fitting to make my theme of my graduating year crystals!” She wanted to bring that personal theme to Prom this year.

   Voted Best Dressed woman at Prom was Amor Jones (12), who students thought looked “stunning” and “unique” at the dance according to the “WHS 2022 Prom Looks” Google Form. Jones rocked a pink dress with a corset bustier and a matching skirt covered in feathers. Jones added that she chose the dress because it reminded her of the Met Gala, and she felt like “a star walking down the red carpet.” She further explained the process of putting her outfit together: “The dress started off as a two piece. When it finally came in, the top looked odd and too matchy so I decided to add some extra touches. I got a corset, cut the top up, and sewed it to the corset.” Jones did her hair in a high slicked braid, and noted that it was a simple touch since the dress was “already bomb.” To complete the look and theme, she wore white gloves and platform pink heels from Dolls Kill. Jones exclaimed, “I really love the skirt part of the dress because it has all the feathers and the trail at the end which made it look amazing!”

   Also voted Best Dressed man was Peter Cepeda (12) sporting a trench coat, an Alyx belt, and boots. Cepeda is known by many students as a fashion-forward person who’s involved in designing clothes and putting them up for sale. Cepeda looked “boss” in his outfit, as described by a student who attended Prom and submitted a response to the “WHS 2022 Prom Looks” Google Form. It’s safe to say all West High upperclassmen showcased their best looks at this year’s Prom in unique ways.