Dawn Davenport, a Baltimore teenager, spirals into a life of crime when her parents don't get her the black cha-cha heels she wanted for Christmas. She drops out of school, is raped, has a...

Dawn Davenport, a Baltimore teenager, spirals into a life of crime when her parents don't get her the black cha-cha heels she wanted for Christmas. She drops out of school, is raped, has a monstrous daughter named Taffy, and makes her living as a cat burglar with best friends Chicklette and Concetta. Dawn marries a no-good hairdresser, Gator, who cheats on her, and his heterophobic Aunt Ida is always at odds with Dawn. Dawn's life changes when she meets The Dashers, a snooty couple who own the chic Lipstick Beauty Salon. They are intrigued by Dawn's life of crime and enlist her as their very own 'crime model.' Things get out of control when Dawn agrees to take part in an experiment for The Dashers where they photograph her committing various crimes.