Monday, September 10, 2007

Goodwill Fashion Show

Goodwill Holds Fashion Show
Staff Writer Genevieve Makris

Shopping for vintage clothes has become so popular that individuals are moving away from trendy pieces found in department stores and focusing more on timeless finds that will last in one’s closet for years. Goodwill, a regional thrift store, has begun to take their marketing of vintage to another level. Senior Shanna Gidwani interned at the company over the summer and came up with the idea to advertise Goodwill’s annual Virtual Runway show on the popular networking site, Facebook.

Via eBay, the Virtual Runway show will display a series of vintage looks that can be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Every year, this fundraising event donates all profits to classes that help the disadvantaged in communities throughout the U.S. find jobs in areas such as custodial work, construction and bank hosting.

Local fashion designer Tu-Anh from Alexandria put the finishing touches on all of the pieces for the show which included sharp blazers and slacks, bargain handbags for business attire, wide leg twill pants and oversized cotton t-shirts for casual dress, and bright colored cocktail dresses and long black evening gowns for evening wear. Tu-Anh’s expertise and respected fashion sense helped refine the prearranged looks for each model.

“We want them to know they are not purchasing just bargain clothes, but high quality bargains. They are getting great deals and they are supporting a great cause,” Gidwani said.

With a little help from Emily Hall, the company’s retail marketing manager, Goodwill has also started a fashion blog. While trying to shed the stereotype of being just a bargain store, Hall’s blog has had as many as 200 hits in a single day and is quickly becoming a respected writing post for fashion devotees. Blog topics range from trends she is interested in, to actual outfits that she has picked out and draped over mannequins for viewers to gain inspiration from. By pairing different fabrics and sorting through donations, the looks are already pre-made for you and proving that Goodwill has a lot more to offer to the fashion conscious than what meets the eye.

The auction for the virtual runway show begins Sept. 12, but if you lose your bid to another anxious buyer, there is always the upcoming trunk show that will be at the H Street festival in Washington, D.C. For more information about the clothing being auctioned off, click here or visit Hall’s blog.