Her Prom Closet
Her Prom Closet Experience
Growing up, every little girl dreamed of being a beautiful princess. Whether it was Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, Jasmine, Tiana or Princess Diana, we all wanted to dress up, get beautiful and find our Prince Charming. Although the road getting there isn’t always easy, in the end it’s all worth it. I would like to tell the story of a princess who dreamed big and created a platform to allow other princesses to get their Happily Ever After.
Once Upon a Time, in a city called Memphis, TN, Executive Director Davina Jones was born. Raised in an educational upbringing, Davina learned at a very young age the importance of volunteer work and giving back to the community. Being a child of educators, her parents explained the burdens of life and made sure their children understood how doing their part could make a difference. This sparked something in the Executive Director of the organization and it later pushed her into her passion.
Working as an event coordinator, Davina started and developed a passion for being able to create an experience. This later birthed her vision to start a non-profit called, “Couture Cares” to give this same experience to young ladies. One day while having brunch with friends, the topic came up of knowing someone who had a prom dress. It was for a young lady whose mom was not financially able to purchase her one. Davina’s response was, “I plan events, but let me see what I can do”. From that conversation, HER PROM CLOSET began. She knew there was a need and she started with her home base, which were her family and friends. They donated dresses, shoes, accessories and their time.
In the beginning, the start-up wasn’t pretty. Timing was everything! Trying to make sure possible event dates didn’t overlap with other school functions and holidays. We used our homes and cars as storage for all inventory that was received, but never complained. Having the lack of funds and resources, we heavily depended on favors from family, friends and the community to make her first event a success. After arriving at the venue, feelings of anxiety took over while walking into the empty space. Gasping for air, Davina envisioned how to create a rememberable experience that would impact these young ladies and their parents for a lifetime.
“A determined mind and a strong will bear endless possibilities” a quote Davina lives by daily. It gives her the determination to push forward even when the odds are against you. In 2015, the first Couture Cares Presents: HER PROM CLOSET event took place! So many emotions went through the mind of Davina and she was moved into tears knowing at that very moment she was making prom dreams come true. She realized she was doing much more than just giving a dress away, she was giving hopes and dreams to young ladies. Girls who never thought this day would come, were going to live out that dream of being a princess, if only for one day. This push gave her the initiative to want to do even more in the future.