Have you ever wondered what happens to the donated clothes that can’t be used by charity? The bridesmaids dress with the red wine stain, the prom dress that’s been torn (ahem)…. for the third year running, St. Vincent de Paul Society has been holding a charity auction, Discarded to Divine. Fashion students in the San Francisco area, use unusable donations to create couture cocktail dresses in real sizes:
“The discarded items used include high-quality materials that have no use in the day-to-day survival of a homeless person, such as upholstery textiles, curtains, formal and bridesmaid dresses, and vintage fabrics. Highlights of fashions created for auction include a man’s tuxedo redesigned using elements of women’s clothing and inspired by Louise Nevelson’s monochromatic sculpture; an evening jacket of matte and textured fabrics inspired by the Dale Chihuly glass art exhibit; a bustier and dress made from a different garments dyed the same color to create a contrast of textures and inspired by the photographic work of David Seymour; and a gown and man’s suit inspired by Fragonard’s “Woman with a Parrot” made from 20 pairs of jeans.”
Designers from top clockwise: Richelle Valenzvela, Mandy Budiman, Rebecca Howard, Kaiya Tyson: Photo by Teru Yoshida: Models, Hair, Makeup & Styling by Ford Models : Creative Direction by Janice Natchek
Discarded to Divine
Recycled Couture Fashion Show, Auction and Cocktail Party
Saturday, April 26, 2008 – 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Hosted by Academy of Art University, 601 Brannan Street, San Francisco
General Tickets: $45 advance/$55 door; VIP Tickets (limited): $75 advance/$90 door
Space is limited. RSVP to (415) 977-1270 or online at www.discardedtodivine.org
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devineeeeeeeeeee!!!
Ooh! I’ve had this on my calendar for weeks, but I don’t know if I’ll actually go — $45 (or $55!) is pushing it a little for me.
Cool… I really like the black dress at the upper right hand corner. Too bad I am not in SF area. Darn it. It would have been interesting to attend.
I gotta say I saw a lot of recycle theme runway show done by students before but it really seems like this one will be AMAZING!
Congrats!
I was waiting for you to post this as an ex San Fran-er….
oh my… yes indeed, it’s important to cover bits like this!
but as far as being ‘ex’ san fran… oh dear, it’s going to take several years to shed that skin!
This is so something I’d love to go to. I wonder if Seattle has an equivalent sort of event.
Great idea, and even greater designs. Gorgeous!