During winter formal season, when most Lawrence High students scour malls and online shopping sites for pre-made attire, you can find senior Lily Havener at home, surrounded by pins, thread and tulle, adding the finishing stitches to her latest dress. 

Havener began sewing in elementary school, taking classes at Sew Simple Sewing with her close friend, senior Bella Maletsky, under the guidance of teacher Catherine Bell.

Maletsky recalls Havener’s interest in fashion beginning at a young age.

“You could tell that she instantly loved it, and it was what she wanted to do with her life,” Maletsky said. 

After starting with simpler projects such as pillows and pajama pants, Havener soon began dreaming up her own designs and bringing them to life. 

“I will often get ideas from another dress or piece that I’ll see. . . or even just a shape, a color, a fabric even, and I’ll get an idea for a dress,” Havener said.

Havener incorporates her friends into her pieces, recruiting seniors Justyss Smith and Maletsky to model designs for photo shoots, often taken by her photographer father, Marc Havener. 

“I remember that first day when we modeled, I was having so much fun, and it was just good to take pictures and be silly,” Smith said. “Everyone was laughing and having a good time.”

Although fashion courses are not directly offered at Lawrence High, Havener has taken a multitude of art classes while in high school, such as Jewelry and AP Drawing, which have had unique influences on her fashion designs.

Recently, Havener incorporated a jewelry class project with a dark red dress modeled by Maletsky.

“When I was designing the red dress that Bella [Maletsky] was wearing, at the same time I was getting a new project in jewelry, and I was like, ‘Oh, this would be perfect to put on the dress,’” Havener said.

Havener plans to pursue fashion in college, and although she has not yet committed to a school, she is interested in New York, London and Paris as potential locations. 

“I hope that she gets whatever school she wants, even though it’s probably going to be in Paris or somewhere far away,” Smith said. “I really hope that she can create a really beautiful brand. . . .That’s always been something that she’s wanted to do. I really hope that the world appreciates her art, like how we do here in our little community.”