Central Texas tailor makes prom dreams come true for local girls
WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A Central Texas tailor known as the best of the best is making dreams come true for more than a dozen high school girls who say, without her help, they’d never be able to afford attending their prom.
Roxana Robles, owner of Couture Tailoring by Roxana Robles, collected dresses and is tailoring them to the vision of 16 girls at University High School, most which have never attended prom due to costs.
“It just makes me feel so happy to be able to help them with something I really enjoy doing, like creating, and this is my passion,” Roxana said, “And so I am very, very blessed that I have the opportunity to help the girls with my talent.”
Roxana is known as one of the best tailors in Central Texas and is the personal tailor to Waco’s own Joanna Gaines.
She said her daughter recently transferred from Vanguard College Preparatory School to University High School and told her mom how many at University couldn’t afford a dress for the big day.
“I noticed there were several girls that needed dresses and she said ‘yes, mommy some of the girls don’t get to go to prom because they don’t have a dress,’” Roxana said. “So, I was like, ‘I want to help.’”
Roxana began asking for dress donations in November and the response has been overwhelming.
“I had around 220 shares on my post,” she said. “I have friends, and customers, and people who I don’t know just send everything that they had.”
Roxana reached out to Mary Olivarez, the Parent and Community Involvement Specialist at University, who lined up girls in need of a gown.
Olivarez has accompanied them to Roxana’s shop on Austin Avenue as they’ve met to alter the dresses to the girls’ visions.
“It’s such an amazing blessing that the girls can just come pick out a beautiful and amazing dress. A lot of them are brand new dresses,” Olivarez said.
University High School Student Body President Imani Dowling is a senior but has never attended prom.
She chose a short sequined dress, but wanted to make it floor length and take off the long sleeves. Roxana went to work and made that happen.
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“I really love it,” Dowling said. “I like how she got my idea and made it come to life. It’s everything I asked for, and everything I pictured me wearing to prom.”
It’s a feeling shared by senior classmate Ve’aundrea Waregrayson, who chose a pink gown, and after trying it on, smiled and said it “made her feel like a princess.”
“It’s a big opportunity because prom dresses are very expensive, so she really helped me and my grandparents out,” Waregrayson said. “Without the dress, I wasn’t going to go because I wasn’t going to be able to afford it.”
18-year-old Jessica Mathews was almost speechless when she tried on the red sequined gown she’s wearing.
“It means a lot because I come from a lower income family and so for Miss Mary and Miss Roxana to help me means a lot because without them, I wouldn’t have gone to prom at all.”
Roxana is planning to host the girls on the day of the prom where she’ll roll out a red carpet at her office on Austin Avenue alongside 360 Solutions, which is owned by her partner, Chip Wilson.
They plan to offer free hair and makeup but are asking for donations or stylists and artists to volunteer their talents to make it happen.
Many University boys are also looking for suit or tux donations so they can attend.
If you’re interested in helping out, you can reach out to Roxana on Facebook or call her office at 254-744-3294.
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