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Project Prom: 'Project Runway' finalist designs dress for winner

Jillian Lewis has designed three dresses for LI senior Amanda DeAngelis. You pick the winner.

BY ANNE BRATSKEIR | Special to Newsday

May 12, 2008

When we put out the all call for Newsday's third annual Project Prom feature, we received a bunch of entries from young women who were willing to let Newsday buy their prom dress -- the all-important rule being that our readers get to choose it.

This year, we were particularly taken with Amanda DeAngelis, 18, of Center Moriches High School, who wrote, "I feel that I could represent many students who are vertically challenged. Since I am barely 5 feet, I have difficulty finding clothing that fits."

Boy, did Amanda get lucky. Instead of shopping the stores, this year's Project Prom winner will wear a custom-made prom dress designed exclusively for her by Jillian Lewis, 27, formerly of Selden, who was a finalist and fan favorite on this season's Bravo TV hit "Project Runway." So, bottom line, Amanda's dress will fit her like a glove. "Jillian's going to make my prom dream a reality," says Amanda.

We met up with Amanda and her mom, Lydia, at Lewis' work space/apartment in Long Island City, where the chemistry between "client" and designer was instant. Amanda, an athlete who plays soccer and softball and is actually 4-foot-11, arrived in, appropriately, a "Horton Hears a Who" T-shirt that read, "A Person's a Person, No Matter How Small."

"I could never buy a fancy dress right off the rack," says Amanda, adding the dress she wore to last year's prom " needed massive alterations."

But despite the teen's diminutive height, Lewis had no doubts about creating a perfect dress for Amanda. "I'm definitely not a prom dress designer, but prom is important even for the cynics. The new way to look at the prom dress is as a beautiful dress you can really wear to another event," says the designer, whose new fall line will be sold at chic boutiques.

The two collaborated easily. They pored over color charts, sketches and magazine photos, finally coming up with three styles in three colors. Amanda wanted to go short this season, and Lewis agreed. "I think she should embrace her tiny-ness and exploit it with something puffy and fluffy and cute." During the session, Amanda's mom noted, "This is probably better than when she'll go for her wedding dress."

At the end of the day, it was settled. "You want something romantic, with edge and major attitude," Lewis surmised. "That sounds perfect," said Amanda, who will attend Herkimer Community College upstate next fall, where she'll study photography. "I trust you Jillian. I really do, I know my dress is going to be beautiful."

But now, as is our tradition, it's up to Newsday readers to select the dress that will get custom made for Amanda's prom, to be held on June 26 at the Atlantis Aquarium in Riverhead. Take a look at the sketches and the descriptions and vote for your favorite.