Color Me Goodwill is Back for 2016

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Color Me Goodwill is Back for 2016

  • Sarah Merrell

    Sarah Merrell serves as Community Director for Asheville Fashion Week and directs fashion shows in the area. She is the Digital Media and Production Manager for Mary Beth West...
Goodwill Promotional Shoot
After an inaugural first year that surpassed expectations, Color Me Goodwill is back and once again will feature a fusion of fashion, art, food, and music for a mission.  The event was oversold in 2015, so will be moving to a larger venue for this year’s event, which will take place Friday, March 18th from 6 to 9 pm at Diana Wortham Theatre.  Attendees will enjoy a cocktail hour with delectable hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine while perusing live flash paintings by local artists, all with the accompaniment of live jazz music by the Sara Fields Trio.  The centerpiece of the event, however, is a truly unique--and very “Asheville”--fashion show.  The Color Me Goodwill fashion show is a showcase of wearable art, all made from upcycled garments from Goodwill stores.  In addition to the garments being upcycled, each designer’s collection is also inspired by a color that they have chosen, providing a vibrant array of fashion and color.  The audience can expect to see an amazing transformation:   t-shirts, jeans or sweaters transformed into entirely new, colorful looks.   This year’s designers include Asheville locals Leanna Echeverri, McKinney Gough, Dani Chaboudy, Tricia Ellis, and Rachel Friel, and award-winning Charlotte based recyclable designer, Malou Cordery. The fashion show also features MCs Josh Michael and Amanda Leatherman, from Star 104.3’s Josh and Amanda in the Morning.  Between the bubbly MCs, the fun and colorful fashion, and some of Asheville’s best models, the show will be an energetic and entertaining event.            At the heart of the event, there is an important message.  The event raises awareness for Goodwill’s workforce development programs, which provide skills training, assistance for those re-entering the workforce, programs for adults with disabilities, services for veterans and families, and restaurant staff needing certification.  This is tied in with the event through the models.  In addition to four fashion models, each designer will also have a Goodwill client model who is either a staff member for one of these programs or has benefited from one of these services.  Each designer and color will highlight a different program.  In addition to raising awareness for Goodwill’s mission and services, the event also includes the Asheville Area Arts Council.  This non-profit provides a collective voice for the arts and develops innovative collaborations, while fostering creativity in the Asheville community.  Proceeds from the beer and wine sales will be donated to the Asheville Area Arts Council in addition to funds from the auctioning of the live paintings, which AAAC will auction as part of their annual Color Ball.    Overall, it will be a very entertaining event with a high production value due to the many individuals providing their skills and expertise.  The fashion show will be deejayed by Thomas Royal with sound and lighting by W. Erik McDaniel, and stage management by Alex Brown.  There will also be nearly a dozen professional hairstylists and makeup artists styling the models.  Renowned fashion photographer Max Ganly will be the lead photographer capturing photos during the event.    Tickets for Color Me Goodwill are $15 each and include admission, entertainment, hors d’oeuvres and one drink.  Tickets are on sale here.  For more information, visit colormegoodwill.org.   Photo Credits Photographer - Max Ganly Photography, www.maxganly.com Photo Shoot Coordinator - Sarah Merrell Location - Studio 250 Designers - Tricia Ellis, Leanna Echeverri of Grateful Threads, McKinney Gough, Rachel Friel of Hip-remix Hairstylist - Zhenya Lazarchuk Makeup - Iliana Guardado Models - Gage Models & Talent's Masha Bachuk, Makenzy Mull and Emily Presnell.  Morgan Gough, Aubrey Huntley Special thank you to Gage Models & Talent