Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth Inc.’s recent Project Goodwill, a fashion show, design competition and fundraiser gala that challenges aspiring designers to create haute couture clothing, raised $46,419 in support of Goodwill’s mission, the nonprofit announced.
The challenge was to design wearable garments using $100 worth of unconventional materials from local Goodwill stores and present those looks in a runway show during the gala.
Over the years, participants have used materials including lampshades, album covers, tin-foil pans and air filters to complete their looks, Goodwill said in a news release.
While all fabric had to be from a Goodwill Fort Worth location, up to $100 could be spent at other stores for trimmings and notions.
The fashion show was judged by industry professionals including Joe Allen Brown, Professor of Theatre Arts at Texas Wesleyan University; Melina Mayfield-Williams, assistant buyer at Neiman Marcus; Kanani Mahelona, design consultant; and Debby Stein, chief improvement officer at Riverside Arts District. Celebrity fashion show judges were Anthony L. Williams, winner of Project Runway All Stars 2018, and Demetria Obilor, WFAA-TV Channel 8 traffic commentator.
First place went to Lizzie Jones, who designed a dress made from a trampoline, embellished with broken CDs. Jones received a $750 cash prize, a $75 gift certificate to Goodwill Fort Worth, a body form, $40 to a fabric store, a $25 Container Store gift card, a Singer sewing machine and a 16GB Samsung tablet. Second place winner was Kelse Clements, who received a $500 cash prize and a $50 gift certificate to Goodwill Fort Worth, and third place was Blair Reyes, who won a $250 cash prize and $25 gift card to Goodwill Fort Worth. People’s Choice was awarded to Shen Xu.
Proceeds from Project Goodwill, sponsored by Service Waste, go to the Moncrief-Ryan Scholarship Fund supporting initiatives focusing on providing jobs and job training for the homeless, at-risk youth, veterans, the disadvantaged and the disabled.
“We’re excited to offer this opportunity to local fashion design students and design enthusiasts,” said David Cox, president and CEO, in the release. “It is inspiring to watch these individuals take everyday clothing from our stores and repurpose them into a runway-ready look.”
– FWBP Staff
www.goodwillfortworth.org