Aug. 15 fashion event at Nighttown is dedicated to women's empowerment

For a second year, Ten Thousand Villages in Cleveland Heights and Dress for Success Cleveland are partnering for a fun event that brings together fashion and fundraising. The event also combines a passion for fashion with the empowerment of women. It will be held on Aug. 15 at Nighttown, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dress for Success will showcase high-end fashions as the group members purge their closets. The clothing will be paired with accessories from Ten Thousand Villages.

From noon to 1 p.m., Traci McBride of TeeMcBee Image Consulting will host the fashion presentation. She will focus on how to dress for different body types using versatile pieces of clothing. McBride will explain the seven different body types and show how staple pieces in your closet can be worn in multiple ways. Guests are welcome to ask questions during the presentation and can purchase items afterwards.

McBride said she is able to see in others what they don’t see in themselves. “My purpose is to give confidence and influence to others,” she said.

From 1–3 p.m., both organizations will sell merchandise in their pop-up shops.  All items from Dress for Success have been donated but are not able to be used in its program to help women with appropriate clothing for job interviews. The pop-up shop will offer designer wear for beyond the office—fur coats, evening gowns and more—all at $10 each.

Ten Thousand Villages works with more than 130 artisan groups; more than 70 percent are women working in the poorest of regions. The fair wages they earn support healthcare, food and supplies for their families and ensure that their children are educated and not victims of forced labor.

The event will open at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $10 each or four group tickets for $35. A cash bar will be available for brunch cocktails, with coffee and tea provided by the two organizations. Nighttown is offering guests a 15 percent discount on their lunch with proof of ticket purchase.

Call Melony Butler at Dress for Success Cleveland at 216-881-6048 to purchase tickets in advance, as seating will be limited.

Laura Potter

Laura Potter-Sadowski is executive director of Ten Thousand Villages in Cleveland Heights. She is active on the Ohio Fair Trade Expo Committee and the Cedar Fairmount SID Marketing Committee.

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Volume 8, Issue 8, Posted 11:32 AM, 07.31.2015