Goodwill Fashion Show

{I’m making a weird face, but everyone else looks amazing!}

Earlier this month, Goodwill contacted me about participating in a fashion show for disabled workers. Of course I jumped at the opportunity. You guys know I love Goodwill {my favorite locations in NYC are the 23rd St. Gramercy store and the Goodwill Outlet}. But I also love that the secondhand chain employs individuals with disabilities. October is National Disability Awareness month so Goodwill teamed up with NYC’s Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities to put on a show.

Goodwill wanted myself and four other bloggers to create looks for disabled employees. We pulled clothes from local Goodwill stores so the workers could have career appropriate attire. I shopped at the three-story Goodwill in East Harlem {2231 Third Ave.} to dress my two models, Craig and Yesenia.

One of Craig’s favorite colors is blue so I wanted to put him in a bright top, dressy slacks and a patterned tie. And Yesenia preferred black pants, which are totally work appropriate, but I  gave her a stand out top, some accessories and nude pointy toe pumps.

{Craig and Yesenia’s final looks}

After steaming the outfits for my models, the fashion show was underway. And this was a legit show. The models received hair and makeup and one of the Goodwill employees even instructed one of the women how to walk down the runway.

The runway was set in the lower level of East Harlem’s Goodwill, the audience was at full attention and our models hit the catwalk.

We mixed fashionable attire with work gear the models were proud to rock. And best of all, they were able to keep the pieces they modeled.

I’m an avid thrifter and a lot of you guys are also and secondhand shopping isn’t just about fashion, there’s a philanthropic aspect to it as well. Two of my favorite thrift stores, Goodwill and Housing Works, support individuals with disabilities and provide healthcare, housing and more for people with HIV/AIDS, respectively.

Fingers crossed Goodwill has a fashion show next year as well, I’ll definitely be on board.

Photos: courtesy of Goodwill and Kimberlee of I Have a Degree in This