People say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Kristy Weeks, owner of Panache - an Aveda salon and spa, has capitalized on that concept for the past five years with the Love Your Mother fashion show.
The event gives local fashion designers the opportunity to create something completely new out of trash. Using things like candy wrappers, bottle caps, car parts, newspaper, cork, cardboard, albums and electrical tape, local designers pair with Panache employees and volunteers to develop a fashion collection to show in a major runway show.
"We started it as a great way to celebrate Earth Month each April," said Kristy Weeks, owner of Panache. "We are challenged by Aveda each year to raise money [for charities]. We wanted to use recycled and reused materials to bring awareness to environmental causes."
And out of that, Love Your Mother was born.
Weeks said the concept came from the idea that the community should show love to Mother Earth.
In its fifth year, the fashion show has grown significantly. Last year’s event was held at the Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine. Week’s decided to hold the 2009 event at World Golf Village so they could make it bigger and grander. Weeks’ said they are expecting 1,000 people this year.
Margo Almony has participated in the Love Your Mother fashion show for the past four years. In previous years, Almony has modeled for other designers. This year, she decided to develop her own collection.
Almony was a client at Panache when she originally got involved. "I started [modeling] and every year I would call and get involved again," she said.
Last year, Almony wore a dress made completely out of cork from wine bottles.
"We drilled two holes in each of the corks and used a staggered pattern and [twine] to hold it together."
She was going to be a model again this year when she decided to design a collection instead. Almony, who has a degree in Fine Art from Flagler College, said she has been making her own clothes for many years and the opportunity to design again was a "great outlet."
Almony is putting her creativity to work, designing a collection of swimsuits. She has four definite design patterns and is working on the fifth.
The designs all stick to the trash theme. Almony said she chose her trash based on things that she knew people would throw away.
The first design is a two piece bathing suit made out of stamps. Almony collected stamps from envelopes and is affixing them to a felt base which one of her models will wear on the runway.
Almony’s second design pays homage to her work at a local St. Augustine florist shop. It will be made completely of flowers.
"I’m going to make it the week of the show," she said. "I’ll glue the
flowers on and put [the suit] in my fridge to keep it fresh."
To add a little panache, Almony plans to make a fresh daisy headband or swim cap for her model to wear with the suit.
The third design she’s developed borrows from the cork dress idea of 2008. She plans to design a retro style bathing suit made out of the same corks used in last years show. Talk about reuse.
The final set design uses sea shells and used boating rope and fishing line. She said she is debating creating a fifth look, and if so, she will use the silver material typically found on old school car visors used to keep the heat out on a hot day.
"It would be a cut out bathing suit with the silver material," she said. "I think it might look cool. I always try to use something that you throw out every day."
Almony said that despite her late start on designing, she is not really stressed out.
"Finding the models [was challenging]," she said. "I had to come up with people and it’s a big favor to ask. But everyone was really generous. I’m enjoying the fact that I’m being pushed."
Both Weeks and Almony are excited about this year’s event. Weeks said they changed it up a bit in order to ensure that the charities benefiting from the event were local.
"We chose local charities intentionally," she said. "We all see local needs in our own backyard."
She said she decided to keep the prices the same for tickets and move to a larger venue with the hopes that they can sell more tickets, raise more money and ultimately help more causes.
This year there are multiple local charities benefiting from the show’s proceeds. With a theme of people, pets and planet, the Homeless Coalition, Goliath and Bebe’s World, S.A.F.E. Pet Rescue, City Sprout and the St. Johns Riverkeeper will all receive donations from the Love Your Mother fashion show.
In addition to the local ties, Almony is excited to participate in the event in a different capacity.
"It’s different this year," she said. "Usually the day of the event is so exciting. I’ve loved getting all dolled up. But designing — there is nothing like it."
Love Your Mother: Couture with a Cause will be held Saturday, April 25 at the St. Johns County Convention Center at World Golf Village. General admission tickets are $25 and VIP tickets are $35. For more information visit www.getpanache.com
April 14th 2009 - 11:33AM