Formal wear for everyone
ASK any parent who’s had a child graduate and attend a Year 12 formal and they will tell you that looking the part doesn’t come cheap.
Since 2015, Project School Formal has helped support hundreds of school leavers facing hardship to celebrate the special occasion looking stylish and chic.
This year’s pop-up shop has opened in Grand Central Shopping Centre for the eight-week formal season, taking bookings until October 22.
Manager Kim Stokes said the project was started by hair salon owners Gay Hold and Paula Lucas after hearing stories of families who couldn’t afford to purchase new outfits for sons and daughters to attend high school graduation.
“Often students, living independently away from home would also share that while it was a celebration to be finishing Year 12, they couldn’t possibly see a way for them to celebrate this milestone with their classmates. It was just too expensive,” Ms Stokes said.
Ms Stokes said Ms Hold and Ms Lucas started Project School Formal by asking friends and family and eventually the local community for donations of quality garments so that no Year 12 student would ever have to miss out on such a special occasion because they did not have something special to wear.
“We will happily gift one entire ‘look’ for the graduation experience, totally free of charge,” Ms Stokes said.
“Afterwards, students may keep their outfit, give it to another person or even gift it back to the project to support another student.”