Several years ago, Courtney Lewis never imagined she'd be creating a gown for her sister's prom. At the time, she was dealing with school bullying. Her mother talked to her about the future, and explained to her that kids just didn't see how good being "different" really was. Fast forward to April 26th, 2019 and Courtney now understands just what her mother meant.
Courtney lives in Maryland, with her parents and three sisters. In 2018, she toyed with the idea of making her older sister's (Mikayla) prom dress. Both Courtney's mom and sister waved off the notion. They believed it was a huge undertaking and at the time, Courtney had only sewn a few pillows that now sit on her parents bed. But as time went by, the idea that Courtney could probably pull this off became apparent. Courtney attends the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, in Washington, DC and is engrossed in all art forms from the moment she steps foot in the building.
"This school empowers me," Courtney exclaimed when asked about her time at Duke. "I've learned that I am capable of doing so much. My mind is always racing with projects, and now I have the confidence that I can actually create these visions".
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In November, Courtney and Mikayla began the prep work of making the dress. It involved several sketches, long hours looking on the internet for "dress inspirations" and consultations with their older cousin, Syreeta (Syreeta C Fashion). Syreeta agreed to help Courtney through the process. It was her guiding hand that helped Courtney create the masterpiece on April 22nd, just in time for Mikayla's prom.
Mikayla says that she, "believed in Courtney and loved the idea of having a custom made dress". It's that type of support for Courtney that allowed both girls to experience a truly memorable experience, that they will share for the rest of their lives.