WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM
DECEMBER 27, 2023 -JANUARY 2, 2024 UCW 9
"I knew it was going to take on a
life of its own," says Kathy Jensen,
owner of the store An Affair to Re-
member, about her annual fashion
show.
For years, Jensen was asked by
others to put on a local prom fash-
ion show and for a few years, Jensen
said, it was something she saw in
the future but not at that time. Now,
14 years later, Jensen is putting on
the 13th annual prom fashion show.
is year's theme will be "A Girl to
Remember," which has been a sort
of slogan or tagline for her store.
"We always wanted to do it," she
says about the theme. "We said,
'What is a girl to remember?'"
e show will take place on Janu-
ary 6th at 7 p.m. and last for about
two hours at the Crown EXPO cen-
ter. e event is open to the public.
"I would say, it's a great girls' night
out," Jensen says. "You don't have to
have somebody in the show to enjoy
it. You get to see the new fashion
that is coming out."
To be in the show, Jensen says
the only requirement is to have
purchased a prom or pageant dress
from An Affair to Remember. Girls
in the show will be for those ages 7
and up.
"is is all about women's em-
powerment," she says. "Every time
you get up on the stage, your confi-
dence builds."
To that end, the show will also
host a portion called Women of
Power. is segment of the fash-
ion show focuses on women in the
community that have made positive
impacts. ey will also be dressed
up and walking on stage during the
show.
Jensen felt that the efforts of many
women in the community were not
showcased and often would be done
without much notice.
"I just started looking around
Fayetteville and seeing all these
women doing great things," she says.
She hopes the segment will
change that. e "Women of Power"
will walk two times during the show.
e show will have about 100 mod-
els this year.
ey have had anywhere from 20
to 120 in the years prior. e models
will be anywhere from a size triple
zero to 30.
"When I started the show it was
about 20 girls and they were mostly
beauty queens," Jensen says. " .. and
it just grew. I decided if anyone has
bought a dress from me they are
going to be able to do the fashion
show."
For Jensen this show will be about
empowering women, giving back to
the community through donations
to CEED and about giving back to
her customers by allowing them to
participate in the show without any
other financial commitment.
"It has turned into a tradition," she
says. "I have girls that started out
at 7 and 8 years and now they are
seniors in high school. It's just what
we do."
Joining the folks at An Affair to
Remember will be Next Top Model
Judge, Marian Verrkerk, who will
direct the runway show as well as
pageant coach Bill Alverson and
Jovani designer Julie DuRocher.
Jensen urges anyone who wants a
girls' night out or who would enjoy
watching a runway show to come
out to enjoy drinks, food and ven-
dors as well as the show.
"You will feel like you are in New
York at Fashion Week … with more
comfortable seating,"Jensen laughs.
"It's a night of fun."
For more information, visit An Af-
fair to Remember's Facebook page
at https://www.facebook.com/lifei-
sanaffair/
EVENT
Fashion show empowers
women in community
by KATHLEEN RAMSEY
C
u
st
o
m
C
a
teri
n
g
by
T
w
o
B
r
o
t
h
ers
eVineNC.com or TwoBrothersCateringNC.com
806 Katie Street Fayetteville NC (O Owen Drive behind O-Reilly's)
Make your special day one that everyone will remember!
Call 910-584-9892
Lakeside
WEDDING, BANQUET & EVENT VENUE
Fayetteville's Newest Venue
SELLING A BUSINESS?
BUYING A BUSINESS?
Business Sales • Mergers & Acquisitions • Franchises
akelsey@tworld.com
Ashley Kelsey
(910) 302-6447
www.transworldeast.com
KATHLEEN RAMSEY,
Contributing Writer. COMMENTS?
editor@upandcomingweekly.com.
910-484-6200.
(Photo courteys of an Affair to Remember's
Facebook page)
