Chicago families say prom plans unraveled after custom orders never arrived

CHICAGO - Prom season is supposed to be a night of grand entrances, camera flashes, and memories that last forever.

But Wednesday night outside Makeda Designs in Humboldt Park, the flashing lights came from Chicago police cruisers instead.

The backstory:

Dozens of frustrated parents gathered outside the boutique after they say custom prom dresses and suits they paid thousands of dollars for never arrived.

"Dress and suit. I have two things she was making. I don’t even know where it’s at," said Leslie Cooper, one of several parents demanding answers outside the shop.

Cooper says she spent $3,200 on custom attire for her son and his prom date.

For Cooper, the missing outfits were more than fabric and sequins.

She says she spent months planning an elaborate prom celebration for her youngest son — complete with caterers, a DJ, decorations, and family flying into Chicago for the milestone moment.

"I got caterers, I got DJ, I put in a lot of money because this is my last baby," Cooper said. "People flying in from everywhere coming for this day."

She says the emerald green, gold, and white look her son wanted had been planned for years.

"He picked that color four years ago," she said.

According to Cooper, she trusted the business because she had worked with owner Makeda Evans for more than a decade.

"13 years I’ve been with her," Cooper said. "I just knew that she wasn’t going to play with me."

Back in 2024, FOX 32 first reported on complaints against Makeda Designs after families accused the business of failing to deliver custom prom gowns on time. Some parents said dresses were unfinished or poorly constructed, while others claimed they never received their garments at all.

This year, several families say the same nightmare is happening again.

As tensions escalated Wednesday evening, police say someone broke a window at the boutique. Authorities say multiple people entered the store and removed property from inside, though investigators have not confirmed whether any prom attire was among the items taken.

Cooper says she arrived to find chaos.

"Policemen, clothes, gowns everywhere, bust up," she said. "I see a green dress. Probably was your dress. And now it’s gone."

Now, she says she is scrambling to replace the custom outfits before prom.

"We’re going to change the colors to gold and white because we can find that quicker than green," she said.

Despite the frustration, Cooper says what hurts most is the feeling of betrayal.

"It’s more of the respect," she said. "The whole disappointment of trying to support our own people."

What's next:

The Instagram account for Makeda Designs has since been deleted. In a social media post shared before the account disappeared, Evans said she was dealing with a mental health crisis and had admitted herself for treatment. She also said she planned to work with customers individually to resolve the situation.

For many parents, however, the damage has already been done.

Some say they are now considering legal action while continuing the search for refunds, replacement outfits, and answers — just days before prom night.