Young woman left in tears buying her prom dress sets up her own shop in Horsforth selling gowns

A young woman left in tears buying her prom dress has set up her own shop in Yorkshire selling gowns for school leavers so every girl can feel like a princess.

Lia Brehmer, 23, was made to feel fat by an assistant who suggested she buy a floaty dress to cover up her weight.

Lia was so upset that she nearly pulled out of her prom before her mum Donna found her another dress with another supplier.

Seven years later, Lia has opened The Prom Den in Horsforth to make sure no girl goes through the terrible experience she endured in her last year Hipperholme Grammar School in Halifax.

Lia said: “I remember the stress of prom night and how tough it can be finding the dress of your dreams which no other girl will be wearing on the night.

“I was so badly treated when I was preparing for my prom as a 15-year-old.

“I was a healthy size eight but the woman in the shop made me feel like I was fat and suggested we get a floaty dress to cover up my weight.

“I was in tears and my mum was so angry that we went to another supplier. After that she set up her own prom dress shop so that no other girls went through the same experience.”

Donna’s store in Brighouse has been so successful that she has roped in Lia to open a second Prom Den store in Horsforth to serve clients in Leeds and North Yorkshire.

Lia had no hesitation in joining mum in the family business.

She said: “I give every girl who comes through the doors the wonderful prom experience that I never had.

“I won’t sell the same dress twice to the same school so no girl has to worry that their big night will be overshadowed by another pupil in the same outfit.

“We make every girl feel special with their own individual stylist so that they get the dress of their dreams and feel like a princess

“Prom season is here already with girls coming in thick and fast to secure their dream dress.”

“Girls love sharing pictures on social media of their choices and we have special areas in the shop where they can shoot pictures and videos.

“We have a dress in the shop which every girl signs to commemorate their prom year.

“We love seeing the girls sharing pictures of their big night on social media and we celebrate proms all over Yorkshire on our feeds with lots of those unforgettable images.”

The best sellers for 2025 are slim fitted corset dresses and quinceañera dresses - big ball gowns with a tight bodice and a floor length skirt with lots of tulle layers.

The average price of a dress is between £299 and £495 and Lia works closely with schools and social workers to support families and young people by giving away dresses to pupils who, without help, would not be able to experience prom.

Most mixed schools in Yorkshire - state and private - have proms to celebrate the end of the school year after GCSEs - a tradition picked up from America where the prom has been part of the high school calendar for decades.

Lia, who lives with her primary school teacher boyfriend Harry Groves, 26, in West Vale, near Huddersfield, loves being in business with her mum Donna, 55.

Lia said: “I was helping out in the Brighouse shop for years when I was growing up so I had a good mentor in mum.

“She had a very simple philosophy which was to make every girl feel special and I hope that I am continuing that tradition in the store in Horsforth.”

Donna, who lives with her partner and 17-year-old son in Lightcliffe, said that business has been booming since she started seven years ago and she was keen to open a branch serving Leeds and North Yorkshire.

She said: “I needed someone with the same passion for the business as me. Lia was the perfect choice.”

Lia and Donna are aware that many families struggle with the cost of prom dresses.

Lia said: “Families rally around and share the cost, with grandparents and aunts and uncles chipping in. Prom night is such a special time and the pictures of the girls in their dresses are cherished for the rest of their lives.”