Goodwill Fashion Show

Goodwill fashion show, looking fly on a dime

{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.

looking fly on a dime, thrifty threads

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

22 Comments
  • Pingback:Flashbulbs & Confidence: The Goodwill DMD Fashion Show « Where the Goodwill Goes
    Posted at 10:43h, 17 October Reply

    […] Patrice of Living Fly on a Dime: Goodwill Fashion Show […]

  • Yourlocalceleb
    Posted at 12:45h, 17 October Reply

    Spectacular! What a great cause!

    http://www.localcelebz.blogspot.com/

  • Fabwtalk
    Posted at 13:48h, 17 October Reply

    Great looks and such an excellent cause. Love it!

  • Danielle Young
    Posted at 14:53h, 17 October Reply

    I love it Patrice! So inspiring!

  • Economy of Style
    Posted at 15:08h, 17 October Reply

    How wonderful!!!  Everyone looked amazing!!

  • Sherryblossombeauty
    Posted at 15:15h, 17 October Reply

    Wow! Love the final looks and the looks of accomplishment and happiness on everyone’s faces!!!

  • Shauna Miller
    Posted at 18:52h, 17 October Reply

    So touching and amazing! What an incredible thing you did!!!

  • Anonymous
    Posted at 19:00h, 17 October Reply

    They look beautiful!! You did a great job!

  • pntszdinFluence
    Posted at 20:17h, 17 October Reply

    This is awesome. I’m all about Fashion and Paying It Forward, so I love this. Great job!

  • Kimberlee VDW
    Posted at 00:26h, 18 October Reply

    Great post! I’m still behind 🙁

  • Anonymous
    Posted at 02:38h, 18 October Reply

    great job for a good cause.

  • Pingback:Work It!: The Goodwill DMD Fashion Show Runway « A Good Look by GoodwillNyNj
    Posted at 14:49h, 18 October Reply

    […] Patrice of Looking Fly on a Dime: Goodwill Fashion Show […]

  • MotorCityMoxie
    Posted at 22:59h, 18 October Reply

    This was such a great cause! I love the GW too

  • Monique
    Posted at 00:36h, 19 October Reply

    What an awesome idea for an event. This looks awesome – love the pics, thanks for sharing!

  • Urbanglamour
    Posted at 06:02h, 19 October Reply

    Wow, I wish I had known about this fashion show!  Your models looked great! 

    I have been meaning to tell you that I went to the Housing Works Buy the
    Bag event this weekend (using that Groupon before it expired!) and all of your advice on this blog and in the Youtube video was so helpful!  Some of the people I spoke to had referred to other videos on Youtube before coming to the event, but they sounded excited to check out your blog and videos, so hopefully this will garner you some additional readers/viewers (though I’m sure you’ll have many more, once people see you on WPIX!)  Is the Goodwill Outlet near the Housing Works warehouse?  From the addresses, it seems like they might be quite close…also, do you know any good places to eat nearby?  And can you use a Goodwill card at the outlet? 

    Thank you for all that you do!

    • Anonymous
      Posted at 01:20h, 20 October Reply

      Thanks. Yes, the Goodwill Outlet and Housing Works warehouse are a few blocks from one another and the GW Outlet definitely accepts the rewards card. There are a quite a few restaurants in the Long Island City area. It’s just a matter of walking around to find the right one. I tried Cafe Henri, it’s pretty good. 

      • Urbanglamour
        Posted at 07:16h, 23 October Reply

        Thank you!  Hope you had lots of fun (and of course, fruitful shopping!) at the Buy the Bag sale!

  • Anonymous
    Posted at 02:14h, 20 October Reply

    So proud of you, and all the models looked great! God has so many great things about to come your way. Keep doing what you do. 

    • Anonymous
      Posted at 00:21h, 21 October Reply

      Thanks so much, I truly appreciate it! 

  • stylebible
    Posted at 04:59h, 04 November Reply

    I really impressive for having that fashion event for a
    cause. You had helped disable persons to have guts to try fashion even though
    that they do have disabilities.

  • Tori
    Posted at 00:17h, 12 November Reply

    What a fantastic event!! Please call me if you ever want an extra hand for an event like this!! 🙂

    http://mythriftychic.blogspot.com/

  • Pingback:Goodwill responds to increased prices | Looking Fly on a Dime
    Posted at 08:52h, 29 June Reply

    […] out.  I’ve been a long time Goodwill supporter {shopping, donating and I even styled a Goodwill fashion show for disabled workers}, so I wanted to hear their side. I reached out to the New York and New […]

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