Filed under: Fashion, General, Rock the Runway | Tags: Arts, Business, design, Fashion, fashion show, Goodwill, Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, Hanna Garner, Magazines and E-zines, News & Record, Rock the Runway 2012, Runway, Tina Firesheets, Triad Goodwill
News & Record Features Reporter and Goodwill Enthusiast talks about her fashion show experience…
It was my first time attending Rock the Runway, and it was really cool to see this caliber of a fashion show here in Greensboro.
It really drew a diverse crowd – from young teenagers to grandmothers. And you could tell a lot of people really had fun getting dressed up for the show. I love clothing and fashion, so it was really neat to check out what everyone was wearing at the mixer.
The show, itself, was even more fun because the audience was so supportive. The applause and cheers as the models came down the runway was really infectious.
The looks, themselves, were totally amazing. I have shopped Goodwill, so I wasn’t surprised that you could get such finds there, but it was super cool to see how everything came together – shoes, handbags, the amazing jewelry (which I know didn’t come from Goodwill, but totally complemented the outfits).
Because Hannah, the stylist, is a fashion expert, it also was a neat preview to what’s going to be hot this spring and summer!
See the amazing looks from the Rock the Runway 2012 show at http://goodwillrocktherunway.org/.
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Filed under: Fashion, General, Rock the Runway | Tags: Clothing, fashion show, Goodwill, Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, Rock the Runway, spring, style team, Summer, Triad Goodwill
The Rock the Runway fashion show that presented to a sold-out crowd earlier this year is making a flashy return for its 2012 fashion celebration! Showcasing ensembles found on the racks of Goodwill retail stores, next year’s show will fuse more Goodwill looks and bolder fashions – and did we mention each look can be found on the racks of Goodwill retail stores!
If you attended the 2011 show, you know that the phrase (that captures the sheer shock at the many facets of Goodwill and uttered so often we finally pressed into Goodwill T-shirts last year) “I Had No Idea,” was never more true than at that show. Every attendee saw an outfit that would make them look amazing and knew immediately at what occasion they could sport it. From a suit that screams success to the showstopper cocktail dress that everyone will be talking about at the holiday office get-together, that show offered it all.
For Rock the Runway 2012, we’re bringing back the rockin’ style team that created the looks we now crave, and we’re extending the runway to offer even more combinations for work, play and evening, fresh for spring and summer, and all at Goodwill prices to suit any recessionista…or recessionisto!
And what makes this event so special is when you remember that the money you’ll spend on your ticket will go towards Goodwill’s mission of helping local residents with barriers to employment obtain job training.
Continue to follow real-time, weekly Rock the Runway updates by visiting Goodwill’s Facebook and Twitter (hashtag #RocktheRunway) pages that will highlight behind-the-scenes exclusives, photos and show updates.
Are you ready to Rock the Runway?
Filed under: Fashion, Rock the Runway | Tags: Cosmetics, Cosmetology, fashion show, Greensboro North Carolina, I Kandi by Mimi, Jaime Jones, Kandi, Mimi Michelle, North Carolina, Photo shoot, retail, Triad Goodwill
Mimi Michelle and Jaime Jones will demonstrate why they are “the face” of this show, when they garnish the RTR models with day and evening makeup looks…
Talented makeup artist Melissa M. Warren (Mimi Michelle) is the owner of I Kandi By Mimi Michelle, a cosmetology service and retail company located in Greensboro. Her work has been featured in many fashion shows, photo shoots and publications including Ebony magazine. She believes strongly in giving back to those in need, which is why she is donating her time and artistry to handle makeup for more than 20 diverse models for the Rock The Runway event.
Jaime Jones is a professional makeup artist, esthetician, businesswoman, and writer. The North Carolina native holds a degree in Film and Video Production Technology and developed her love for everything makeup while attending college. After graduating she took her love for the art to the next level and attended the 
Aveda Institute Chapel Hill. Jamie’s professional experience includes work on fashion shows, television, video, film, and print. She also uses her talents and passion to prepare clients to look their best for life’s specials moments.
Learn more about Jaime’s suggestions for beauty and fashion at: http://slifeonline.com/?p=1027# , and come see this duo’s makeup artistry “rock the runway” on February 24!
Filed under: Fashion, General, Rock the Runway | Tags: clothes, design, Downtown, Empire Room, evening, event, fashion show, girls, Goodwill, Greensboro, High Point University, models, night, retail, Triad
We are! In one month, after last year’s successful fashion show, Triad Goodwill is gearing up to Rock the Runway again with a bigger show and even bolder fashions that stock Goodwill retail stores year ’round! And this year, it’s all about the fun female – so we thought. After last night’s visit to High Point University to get our Tyra Banks on to find the perfect girls to model the Goodwill look, we found some man-candy we couldn’t resist so don’t miss out on trends for both gals and guys.
This year’s show will be held on the evening of February 24 in Downtown Greensboro’s Empire Room, so tell your girlfriends they’re in for a night of style with cocktails and conversation overlooking the center city skyline, and then a rockin’ runway show that will surprise even your biggest fashionista friend. Okay, okay so where can you get your ticks?? You can reserve your spot for $20/ 2 for $35 + 2 drink vouchers before 2/14 now at www.goodwillshow.org. After 2/14 get tickets for $20 pp. Plus your very own Rock the Runway souvenir T from one of Greensboro’s premier fashion events will be waiting for you for just $15.
Goodwill and our project partners Boho Salon, Clara Marie’s Southern Bakery, Dana LeBlanc Designs, Rebecca & Co., Exum Photograpy, Furnitureland South, Go Triad, 107.5 KZL and WFMY News 2 are working around the clock to give you an even bigger treat than last year so get in our stores and pick out the perfect outfit + accessories for the night! In the meantime check out pics from last year’s show on our Flickr page and exclusive back stage footage on You Tube.
P.S. This was written by Goodwill’s newest new girl Ashley Watkins.
Filed under: General | Tags: Chatham Hill Winery, fashion show, Goodwill of Eastern North Carolina, Redress Raleigh, Reuse Alliance
One of the cool things about planning the Goodwill Fashion Show was that I got to meet all kinds of great people. Some were interested in finding out how they could contribute to the show and others were looking to collaborate on future projects. One of the people who was looking to collaborate was Mary Ellen from Reuse Alliance. The goal of Reuse Alliance is to increase public awareness of reuse while also connecting various reuse organizations to each other.
Mary Ellen had a vision for creating a ReFashion Show that would highlight outfits that can be created from repurposed items. The ReFashion Show will be incorporated into the upcoming ReuseConex Conference and Expo which is going to be held in Raleigh, NC this coming October. When Mary Ellen asked for my input in organizing and planning the ReFashion Show, I couln’t say no. And that why I spent most of yesterday in Raleigh.
The actual ReFashion Show will be hosted by Goodwill of Eastern North Carolina and Redress Raleigh. It’s always nice to meet fellow Goodwill employees face to face but I was really excited to learn more about Redress Raleigh. They hold a fashion show every year that promotes wearable eco-fashion. It’s all about creating cutting edge fashion with the use of remanufactured or recycled fabrics. Their fashion show will be held April 17 so if you’re in the Raleigh area that weekend I strongly urge you to attend.
My final exciting find during my Raleigh road trip was Chatham Hill Winery, who will be giving tours of their winery during the conference. Chatham Hill was the first urban winery in North Carolina. Now that in itself is pretty impressive but what I found even more exciting was their philosphy on zero waste. The idea behind their business is simple. They work with farmers North Carolina to grow a variety of grapes. From there the grapes are transported to the winery in Cary and made into wine. After the wine is produced it’s bottled in recycled glass and the extra stems, seeds and skins from the grapes are then turned into fertilizer. It’s a wonderful organization and the whole group is very passionate about what they do. The coolest thing is that they are located right by RDU Airport. So remember that the next time your flight is delayed or you have a few extra minutes before check in.
All in all yesterday was a pretty exciting day. I’m looking forward to working with and learning more about each of these organizations. And who knows, there might be a few more Raleigh road trips in my future.
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It’s been a week since the Goodwill Fashion Show and things around here are finally getting back to normal. Putting the Fashion Show together was so much fun even though it was a lot of work. Luckily the event went smoothly and we had a ton of compliments on the food, the outfits and the atmosphere. I figured that this would be a great place to provide a recap for those who missed this year’s event. Once you see how amazing everthing turned out , I’m sure you’ll be first in line to get your ticket for next year!
The night started with a cocktail hour where guests enjoyed delicious hors d’oeuvres and drinks courtesy of Painted Plate. Guests were given the chance to mingle as well as browse through a selection of great door prizes that were to be given away at the end of the night.
Following the cocktail hour, guests moved into the runway room where the fashion show would take place. We were lucky enough to have Josie of 107.5 KZL and Miss North Carolina International 2009, Julie Tesh, on hand to host the event. Julie even kicked off the whole show by showing off her runway walk. Once the DJ started the music and the models took the stage, there was no looking back. All of the models were volunteers from the local community and they, despite the fact that this was the first time on a runway for many of them, did an amazing job!
During the fashion show, we displayed a variety of different clothing options that you can find at Goodwill. We had everything from the casual jeans and T-shirt outfits to the long formal gowns. Thanks to the wonderful staff at Leon’s Salon, who took care of hair and makeup, the models looked like they had stepped right off the pages of a magazine. Many people were shocked to find out that all of these outfits were taken right from the racks of our local Goodwill.
I could talk for hours about how much fun I had or how amazing it was working with the wonderful models, but instead I’m just going to encourage you to see it for yourself. Check out pictures from the event on our Flickr page. Many thanks go out to Griffin Davis from Exum Photography who captured the whole event for us. And don’t forget, we plan to be back and even better next year. We hope to see you there!
Last night was the eve of the Goodwill Fashion Show and the dress rehearsal was exhilarating and exhausting. Like any other eve, this one was filled with anticipation and excitement. After a long season of planning and organizing, we finally get to see all of our hard work pay off.
I got a sneak peak at the show last night and, let me tell you, the clothes look completely different walking down the runway than hanging on the rack. The models brought the looks to life and they’re going to have even more energy tonight under the lights and in front of a live audience. Even though I helped shop for the outfits, I was surprised at the variety of everyday outfits, interview clothes, special occasion dresses and statement pieces.
Tonight, the runway will also feature a couple of local celebrities. Josie from 107.5 KZL will be our emcee and Miss North Carolina International 2009 will make a special appearance. And, as if the fashion itself weren’t enough reason to come to the show, guests will get drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and a chance to win some really great prizes.
Tickets are $40 at the door (that price includes drinks, food, raffle entry, and a seat at the show). We hope to see you at the Empire Room tonight!
Goodwill Fashion Show
The Empire Room
203 S. Elm St.
5:30 Cocktail Hour
6:30 Runway Show
Tickets are $40 at the door
While a lot of hard work has gone into preparing for the Goodwill Fashion Show, we’ve been lucky enough to have a little bit of fun too. Last week’s model fittings were so much fun and we even caught some of the best moments on video.
If you haven’t purchased your Fashion Show tickets yet, don’t worry there’s still time. You can buy tickets online at www.GoodwillShow.org.
No sooner had the dust settled from my fashion show shopping spree than I was at it again. This time the challenge was making sure the items I had selected for each model actually fit that model. With all the variations in pants and shirt sizes out there it can be tricky to find a complete outfit for yourself. Now multiply that by 50 models and you can see where the challenge comes in. Fortunately we got all the clothes purchased and were ready to start the fittings.
The first thing I realized was that this was going to call for some major organization skills. Luckily, as anyone who knows me will tell you, my organization skills border on obsessive so I quickly got to work. Soon I had turned this:
into this:
And with the help of a spreadsheet, some scissors and a few safety pins, each model had an assigned outfit with their name on it as well as a back up just in case. Now I just had to cross my fingers and hope that the clothes fit.
As of today, which is Day 3 of model fittings, I’m happy to report that there haven’t been too many mishaps. Aside from a pair of high-water pants and a shirt that was two sizes too big, we’ve had nothing but success with the model fittings. A few of the models even loved the clothes so much that they wanted to purchase other model’s outfits.
After this week every model should have an outfit assigned to them. And once every model has an assigned outfit we’ll be able to start pulling all the details of the show together and making final adjustments. Stay tuned to find out what successes, and challenges, lie ahead.
Who knew that shopping could be stressful? When you’re shopping for 50 models for the Goodwill Fashion Show, it certainly can be. Don’t get me wrong — it wasn’t hard to fill my cart with things that I would love to wear. The challenge was making sure I had something in the cart for everyone. The Fashion Show should be a representation of the wide variety of styles you can find at Goodwill, not just mine.
How do you tackle the task of dressing 50 people uniquely? Employ some of the same strategies that you use when you’re shopping for yourself. Only shop when you’re well rested, well fed, and have plenty of time. Start at one end of the store and work methodically to the other end. Look at every shirt/pants/dress on the rack because you never know what treasure might be hiding in there.
However, when you’re shopping for 50 people, you’ll have to do some things differently. You have to decide what part of the outfit will be the easiest to fit and match and start there (for women it’s usually the top and for men it’s usually the pants). Make sure you have at least one of those “staples” for each model, checking sizes as you go. Then go back and pick up at least double the amount of coordinates that you’ll need (bottoms for women and tops for men). That way, when you’re putting the outfits together, you’ll have a little leeway with sizes and styles.
After several shopping trips, we finally have a good balance of men’s and women’s clothing, casual and formal wear, business and evening wear. Now all we have to do is make sure the clothes fit the models. That’s the easy part, right?
