All Berkeley Institute student Amber Douglas wanted was a special cotillion dress to commemorate her graduation from the high school.New Jersey fashion designer Thomas LaVone provided that and a little bit more.It was because of him that the 18-year-old singer was able to perform at a New York high fashion event last month.“My father, Jason Smith, saw an advertisement for fashion designer Thomas LaVone on television and I needed a cotillion dress for Berkeley Institute because I had just graduated,” Miss Douglas explained.“My father called a number. We flew out to New Jersey and he did my dress in a weekend. He asked me what I liked to do and I told him I sang. He said, ‘well, sing for me’. I sang for him and he was impressed. Ever since then he has been helping me out.”Mr LaVone, who came to Bermuda for the Some Like it Hot fashion show in April, arranged for Miss Douglas to take part in last month’s Fashion on the Hudson event in New York.Arranged by BTE TV, the event was designed to celebrate the television channel’s fourth anniversary. It also featured Bermudian fashion event organiser Mario Dismont and fashion designer Regina Simmons.“Thomas asked if I wanted to sing in New York and I said, ‘Of course’,” Miss Douglas said. “He gave me a date to be ready by. I booked my ticket and I was there. I sang a cover from R&B artist Drake. The song was a mix of ‘Shot For Me’ and ‘Marvin’s Room’.”Singing in New York was one of the best experiences of the teenager’s life.“It was actually really nice,” she said. “I got a lot out of it and it was in a different country. I have sung in Bermuda and in England but to know I got a chance to sing in New York was really nice. My father is like my manager. He did a lot of networking for me. Just by Thomas giving me that opportunity, he did networking for me too.”Miss Douglas is currently studying performing arts at Abingdon and Witney College in Oxford, England and then plans to go on to university to study musical theatre.“I want to venture off into movies, and different types of arts,” she said. “I don’t want to just stick with musical theatre.”Miss Douglas started singing in the Vernon Temple AME choir at age six. She was taken there by her mother, Kali Douglas.“They really helped to bring out my confidence and talent,” she said. “When I come back from school I would like to sing with them again.”Two years ago she was part of local entertainment group Troika and while at Berkeley had a lot of opportunities to develop her voice.“Now in college we have acting, singing and dancing every day of the week,” she said. “Everyone in my class is talented. We have all combined our talents really well and work together. I think I am in the best year. No one in my class seemed shy or nervous. We all clicked.”