One would be forgiven for assuming that this may be the premier of a Hollywood blockbuster or major international entertainment awards night. Perhaps a society ball attended by visiting overseas dignitaries or a state dinner for the royal family. All of the essential elements seem to be present.
For a few brief weeks spanning November and December each year there will be well over seven hundred such events taking place in Sydney and over one hundred & Forty thousand impeccably dressed and groomed guests will prance this entrance folly by invitation only.
So – who are they?
They are Sydney’s teens.
Not merely the wealthy ones either. These are the same teenagers you see pack-hunting for clothes and music in our shopping malls, throwing pop-corn at our cinemas, crowding our bus stops in school uniform every morning and chatting to each other via the internet every night. They are the kid next door, the babysitter, weekend lawn mower, the one with the uncomfortable hat that asks if you’d “like fries with that sir”, the “L” plater that goes just a little slow or the “P” plater that goes just a little fast. These are the fresh-faced carefree images of youth that part of us wished we could revert back to, but another part that thanks heaven we don’t have to. The event is their high school formal, and to most, it’s the biggest night of their young lives to date.
What was once a novelty reserved for those society families with children in the most elite prep schools and colleges, where the parents also attended and the entire school faculty sat on a head table, is now an event not only accessible to, but often exclusively open to,
A sultry November afternoon begins to fade as the western sky takes on a tangerine fading to violet glow and a welcome breeze blows a hint of the ocean south from Sydney Harbour through the bustling city streets.
Suits and skirts atop comfortable running shoes clamber for space at bus stops and train platforms as the city empties itself of the army of daily business commuters. The city readies for the incoming nocturnal crowd.
The moon and stars now revealing themselves in the night sky mimic the twinkling lights of a neon city as Sydney takes on a dreamy and elegant ambience.
From all suburbs begin an inward bound cavalcade of white limousines and chartered busses, all turning into the driveways and grand entranceways of magnificent 5 - star luxury hotels and posh function venues. Tunic adorned concierge opens the door and greets alighting couple after couple, then along the walkway, parading into the building like models on the catwalk or movie stars on the red carpet.
A plethora of camera flashes rain over these couples and reflect off the shiny sequins and “bling” as
they strut forward to greet each other in mutual admiration of their glamorous appearances. The slinky satin and chiffon masterpieces flanked by pinstriped forms with occasional bursts of bright colour. Hair teased up or swirled into ringlets and...
...everywhere sparkles and immaculate lines and curves embody a spectacle of immense fashion elegance. Hundreds of these dazzling visions of sophisticated charm stream through, one couple after another.
all year 10, 11 and 12 high school students around the country. The High School Formal, although not yet being adopted as part of any official state school calendar, has secured its place as a major contributor to the social development of our youth. To many teenagers, the event is as emotionally important as the H.S.C.
The current strong state of the economy in recent years, coupled with an intense upswing in electronic media such as mobile phones, SMS, PXT, MP3 players, Internet, Social Networking, E-Mail & Subscription Television means that today’s teens not only have the financial means to become a very powerful consumer force but are being relentlessly bombarded with information relevant to their interests. In short, compared to their parents and grandparents, today’s teens have buckets of expendable dollars and are seriously savvy about the world and what they want from it. They are discerning buyers and command respect in the marketplace.
Between the Formal itself, and the peripheral expenses associated with
Page 5 PROM Magazine August 2013
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