Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina will hold its Third Annual Color Me Goodwill Fashion Show on Friday, April 28, at the Orange Peel in Asheville. Six local designers have pored through Goodwill’s stores to create head-turning fashion for 36 models.
“I’m excited to be selected again to participate in Color Me Goodwill because doing this show is a huge part of my story,” said designer Tricia Ellis. “Without Goodwill, no one would know about me or my designs. This way, I get to make beautiful things sustainably, and that’s something that can be appreciated by all artists and audience members.”
In addition to Tricia who will work in blue, other designers chosen to participate in this year’s event include: Kristin Tidwell (Red); McKinney Gough (Sepia); Amanda Rose (Pink); Leanna Echeverri (Green); and Caleb Owolabi (Orange). Each designer has been given $125 to shop for garments and materials at Goodwill stores, and must create six different designs made from those upcycled garments using the assigned color. The first place winner will be awarded $500, with $200 going to the runner-up.
New this year is a four-legged fashion show in partnership with the Asheville Humane Society. While votes are being counted for the Color Me Goodwill collections, some very special ambassador dogs will take to the runway, sporting their own special apparel and highlighting the work that the Humane Society does in the community.
“Last year we had 450 people attend the fashion show which created a lot of positive publicity for the designers,” said Jaymie Eichorn, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Goodwill. “It also reinforces to the public that they can find great bargains at Goodwill stores, which, in turn, helps to support our workforce development programs.”