- Yup, I'm gonna get laid tonight.
(laughing)
(pop music)
- So, I went to prom in 2010.
I reused my Sweet 16 dress because it was red
and puffy, and like the princessy thing
that I really wanted to go for,
and I was like, I'm gonna save money.
- So as a kid, I competed in a lot of piano competitions.
So I'd always need formal wear for that
so I just re-wore my piano gowns.
- I went to prom three years in a row.
I was a very hot commodity,
even though I didn't make out with anybody.
My first two years I wore dresses,
and then my final year I went in a tux.
- I didn't think that I saw myself in the prom ads at all.
I'm curvy, like I'm a thick girl,
so like you probably did not see any of that.
- Everyone else in my class would go to this one store
where all the dresses were super, super long,
like for very tall, skinny people.
- Going to prom was almost like following a cooking recipe.
You're doing all the right moves in parts and pieces.
- Today we're gonna be working with
a celebrity stylist who's going to be picking
a 2018 dress that matches our personal aesthetic.
- And we're going to be spicing up these
basic ass prom looks because lord knows they need some help.
So, let's go get glammed the fuck up y'all.
(snaps)
- I think the reason why I want to recreate this
prom ad today is because I feel that so many people
feel that their clothing is a shackle,
and not necessarily an extension
of their freedom of expression.
- [Woman] In most of these prom ads,
you see white, tall, skinny,
beautiful girls, and I am Chinese, very petite.
- [Ignasia] Stock photos are more diverse
than these prom ads.
I don't know where they're going with it.
If you can find a good meme with different ethnicities,
and like body shapes, then you can fuckin' pull a prom ad.
- [Rain] I typically don't wear dresses.
In this ad you'll see me wearing a dress,
but I want to wear it just to let people know that I can,
and that I'm still gonna be okay,
and I can walk out the door and feel free.
The clothing doesn't own me, and neither does society.
- [Woman] For the same reason why a lot of Asian folks
want to see Asian characters in TV shows and movies,
we want to see ourselves represented.
Not just in the professions that people assume that we have,
but in anything that we participate in.
And prom is very much a quintessential American experience.
I want to see myself represented in prom ads,
and I imagine other young Asian girls do as well.
- [Woman] There are so many black girls
and so many thick girls that are under referenced in it.
They just need that type of focus,
and that type of spotlight.
So if we can do that, that'll be great.
- [Rain] When people see the finished photo today,
I really hope that they see
the possibilities for themselves.
And I really want people to see that they
can be validated and loved no matter what they wear.
- [Woman] I definitely think 18 year old me
would want to see someone
who has the pixie haircut or shaved head.
That's the other thing with prom ads,
is that all the girls have super long hair.
(popping)
They look like princesses!
- [Woman] I hope that they see themselves,
but also, fabulousness, and glamour,
and the magic of prom, because you only have one.
- [Rain] If you're going to prom and you've spent four years
hiding who you are, or you feel like you've been
pushing yourself down or holding back,
this is the time to let go.
- [Woman] My hope for this video
and recreating this ad is that somebody else sees this
and is like, I can have colored hair,
and cut it how I want and wear whatever I want to prom,
that makes me feel the most me
and the most confident that I can possibly be.
Because prom is supposed to be about you.
- [Rain] This is marking a time in your life,
it's almost like a big party to celebrate the fact
that you're about to be a legal adult,
free to go out into the world
and be who you want to be.
- I absolutely love my outfit.
I feel, like, so confident, it's like so amazing.
I want to actually revive a Mariah Carey
Vegas look or some shit.
- Indifferent, I'm wearing boxers under it,
so I feel great, like I have a secret.
I like the fact that it's shiny, big fan of shiny.
The slit, it's a lot of leg for someone
who just is, you know, discovering puberty.
- I feel like a space queen.
I really love it.
Somebody said a space hooker, so either one of those.
Queen by day, hooker at night.
(laughing)
- Who does this in real life?
Who does it, who walks around
and suddenly is like, oh geez, I forgot something.
Oh good thing I'm wearing this dress 'cause I look good.
- [Christina] The three of us, we all have different styles.
- [Rain] And starting small is starting at all.
It's hard to change the whole entire thing at one time,
but just being here with these amazing people,
and seeing them so confident, I really do feel like
we made something that we should be seeing more of.
- [Ignacia] You should have a good fucking time.
Like that should just be your one aim.
- [Christina] Wear whatever you want, it doesn't have to be
any of these things.
- [Rain] Yeah, it could be a t-shirt and like, shorts.
- [All] Prom!
(pop music)