Why parents are breaking the bank for prom in the Black community - TOL Bespoke Feature in the Lifestyle Column of The Grio

Kay Wicker

Jun 4, 2026

Prom season is winding down after another whirlwind year in the books that saw looks and send-offs that rival the Met Gala

https://thegrio.com/2026/06/04/why-parents-are-breaking-the-bank-for-prom-in-the-black-community/...“We have a lot of parents who reached out in July of last year for this year,” Lan Akinade, who runs TOL Bespoke in Columbia, Maryland, told theGrio by phone during an interview in the midst of prom season.