From sketch to stitch, Waltham teen creates her own prom dress

As Waltham High School’s junior prom got underway Friday evening, one student stood out not just for her dress, but for the work behind it.

Junior McKenna Collins designed and created her own prom dress from scratch, showcasing both creativity and craftsmanship. This marks the second year Collins has created her own prom dress.

“I have always loved fashion and art, so fashion design seemed like something I would want to do for my future career,” Collins said.

Collins said she first learned to sew from her grandmother. She got her first sewing machine at age 13 and has taken the fashion courses at Waltham High School since freshman year. Her career path became clearer after meeting mentor Ali Bianchi of AlexandraRenee Designs.

“It seemed out of reach until I met Ali Bianchi,” she said. “She allowed me to help her at a fashion show at the Liberty Hotel and that is when I realized a career as a fashion designer was my end goal.”

Last year, Collins and Bianchi worked together to design and create her first prom dress. This year’s dress took about a month to design and sew. “Every day after track and work I would go to Ali’s where we would work on making my vision come to life,” she said.

In addition to making her own dress, Collins also helped alter prom dresses for fellow students Dylan Remage-Healey and Lily Juliano. 

Collins currently works after school at Sondra Celli Co., a Waltham-based fashion studio operated by Sondra Celli, the daughter of designer Yolanda Cellucci, where she continues to gain hands-on experience in fashion design and alterations.

She plans to pursue a career in fashion and will attend the New School at Parsons in New York City this summer to continue building her portfolio and earn college credits.