The yarn came first. Maryann Nzioki-Hult learned to knit young, made scarves and hats for friends and sold her pieces at pop-up events around Johnson County before she had a storefront, according to a 2023 Johnson County Post profile. In 2018 she took a spot in a holiday collective of small shops at Oak Park Mall, and The Kansas City Star later reported that Tabu Knits Boutique had stayed in the mall ever since, moving up to busier and larger spaces along the way. Special-occasion dresses became the focus. She told the Star, "I'm going after special event collections, that's my niche."
That niche is what this listing covers. Tabu's formal side sells prom, homecoming and bridal dresses inside Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, and the whole collection is shown on the Tabu Knits Boutique website, where a PROM 2026 section sits next to homecoming, cocktail and wedding categories.
A prom collection you can preview from home
The online prom group runs to a few dozen gowns, sorted by the shapes students ask for: ball gowns with layered skirts, mermaid and fit-and-flare silhouettes, satin, tulle and high slits. Prices posted there sit mostly between the high $300s and just under $1,000, with beaded corset bodices and floral brocade at the middle of the range and a Jovani metallic sweetheart gown near the top. Homecoming minis, including a beaded Alyce Paris strapless style and a Jovani sequin dress, are listed for the fall dance.
The prom fitting appointment is the clearest look at how the shop wants a visit to go, and the booking page pitches it in the store's own voice.
Step into a personalized prom shopping experience with up to 45 minutes of one-on-one styling from one of our expert stylists.
The same page adds a private fitting room and access to the full prom collection. Booking takes a card and a $35 deposit, which is refundable and can be applied toward the dress. Missing the slot, or canceling within 24 hours, costs the $35 as a no-show fee, so put the time in a shared family calendar once it is booked.
Where it fits in a Johnson County prom season
Oak Park Mall is the big indoor mall on West 95th Street, and for Lenexa and Overland Park families it is often the default rainy-day destination anyway. Students from Shawnee Mission West, Olathe Northwest and Olathe North can work a fitting around the rest of a weekend at the mall, and the northeast Kansas suburbs give the shop a wide pool of schools. Because the gowns are posted online first, a student can shortlist two or three styles on her phone and spend the 45 minutes trying them instead of hunting.
A small owner-run business also means the racks reflect one person's buying. The boutique's own footer sums up the approach in a line: it hand-picks pieces for its customers. Prom stock is listed by color and silhouette, often in a single size or a handful, so the racks change through the season as gowns sell.
Tabu prom questions
Does a Tabu prom fitting cost anything?
Booking requires a $35 deposit on a card. It is refundable and can go toward the dress, but it becomes a $35 no-show fee if you miss the appointment or cancel within 24 hours.
Which designers does Tabu carry for prom and homecoming?
The website names Jovani on several prom and homecoming dresses and Alyce Paris on a homecoming mini. Many other gowns are listed by style rather than by label.