Prom Trends 2023: Interview with Sarah Botchick from Pioneer Imports and Wholesale
When Vonda and Lori invite Sarah Botchick on the show, they know one thing for sure: she'll arrive over-prepared. Sarah, of Pioneer Imports and Wholesale, joined the hosts to talk color, how product development has changed since the pandemic, and — most importantly for the season ahead — what florists should expect from prom 2023. Spoiler: prom is back, and the bling came with it.
Viva Magenta is a gift to florists
Sarah is genuinely excited about Pantone's color of the year, and not just because it's pretty: Viva Magenta is an actual natural flower color. "When they came out with gray and yellow a few years ago, we did our best with yellow, but gray was a little bit of a stretch," she admits. Coming out of the pandemic, a bright, happy, life-filled color fits the mood — we're all determined to be happy again.
There's a peek behind the curtain here, too. Pioneer develops hard goods eight to twelve months in advance, so a color announced in December mostly tells Sarah whether her forecasting guessed right. Some years she nails it, some years she doesn't — but this year her shelves already held plenty of vibrant dark pinks that fit the niche. Interestingly, the top color in Pioneer's January orders was lavender, remarkably close to last year's Very Peri — proof that Pantone colors take time to trickle inward from the coasts, even in the social-media era that has sped trends up. And yes, magenta plays nicely with the Barbiecore moment.
Product development without the plane ticket
Pioneer hasn't traveled to China since spring 2019, so development has run on samples flying back and forth, endless emails, and "pictures galore." Sarah is candid about the trade-off: on site in factories and showrooms, creative sparks happen — you see a product that's almost right, look five feet away, and find the piece that makes it work. Remotely, that magic is harder. But working from home base means all the sales history is on the wall staring at her, so business decisions may actually be sharper. Her conclusion is one every florist who improvised through shortages will recognize: constraint "has exercised a different part of the creative brain."
Prom is your next generation of customers
Both Sarah and Vonda went through intensive prom training with Dan Fisher of Fitz Design years ago, and both came away with the same conviction: the prom customer is your next bride. From the wedding to baby flowers to graduations, that teenager standing nervously in your shop — often in a flower shop for the very first time — is the beginning of a decades-long relationship. Prom gets young customers off their screens and interacting with you face to face. Walk them through the process, make it happy, and they'll come back.
And don't be afraid of the price tag. Sarah has watched florists offer higher price points against their own instincts, then come back saying, "I didn't think this would work in my area, and it actually did." Ten years ago she had florists in the central U.S. charging $95 for corsages. The hosts' advice: control the choices you present (the customer never needs to know), and consider a prom-bar setup that feels like ordering at Starbucks — familiar, tiered, and easy to say yes to. This year's seniors missed two proms; it's go-big-or-go-home time, and they've had two years to save.
The 2023 trend report: brights and lights
Pioneer's research narrowed prom 2023 to two lanes. On one side, brights: Viva Magenta running with turquoise and purple. On the other, lights: blush and pale tones, led by that best-selling lavender. Dress trends translate directly into flower opportunities — corset bodices pair with structured, wired ribbon; one-shoulder gowns open the door for shoulder corsages and body flowers; and sequins, shimmer, ruffles, chiffon, lace, and even feathers are back after a couple of quiet pearl-and-cottagecore years. Girls are buying earlier than ever, with dress shops reporting lines out the door in January — so promote early.
Two practical notes: Smithers Oasis cold glue is back in stock, and don't sleep on silks. Use them as display samples, as ready-made corsages for last-minute orders after your fresh cutoff, as the smart play when prom collides with Mother's Day weekend, or for colors nature can't provide — and Vonda loves popping three fresh rose heads into a permanent design for the best of both. Pioneer's full prom trend report and revamped florist marketing resources are on the Pioneer Imports and Wholesale website.
Key takeaways
- Stock and design around two palettes: Viva Magenta brights (with turquoise and purple) and pale lights like lavender and blush.
- Treat every prom customer as a future bride — the relationship is worth more than the corsage.
- Offer higher price points with confidence; customers take them more often than you'd expect.
- Watch the dresses: corsets, one-shoulder cuts, and bling all point to structured ribbon, body flowers, and sparkle.
- Use silks strategically — samples, last-minute ready-mades, Mother's Day conflicts, and impossible-to-match colors.