The White Party
I mentioned in my outfit post last week, I had the opportunity to attend a "white party" black-tie fundraiser at the University of Buffalo, and I was super excited. Not only was it a great excuse to go to a fancy party, the party was also a fundraiser for a great cause. It benefited the DBT program for Child & Adolescent Treatment Services, which focuses on helping children and adolescents that experience self-harming behavior and mental health problems.
PEAR Event Planning hosted the event, and they seriously did such an amazing job. Champagne and drinks, food, music, and black and white attire...what more could you ask for? Even though it was snowing SO INTENSELY outside, I was so happy that I braved the weather and came out to support this great cause. Sometimes you just have to throw on a great dress and some Uggs, and trudge through the snow. :)
I met up with two other bloggers at this event...my very first blate (blogger date!) Allison from Clearing Preppy's Name and Victoria from Victoria's Broke Secret.
Both so gorgeous, right? And both so younger than me. Although Victoria told me that I looked like I was 25 and that basically made my entire life worth living at that moment (thanks for the boost, girl.)
Lucky for us, we were able to meet the three extremely talented designers for the evening before the event started. They were three strong, beautiful women with a clear vision of who they are and what their design aesthetic is.
We first spoke to Molly of Once Vintage...what a great name, right? Molly is all about designing clothing for real women who are ambitious and strong. She gathers her inspiration from street fashion and vintage stores and loves re-purposing items. She loves designing because it gives her a freedom from the conventionality that life can be sometimes. One of the things she said that struck me the most was that she thinks that right now there's a movement happening in the fashion industry in Buffalo. I actually couldn't agree more. Buffalo's fashion community is very supportive of one-another and it's so refreshing to see another local designer be able to make a name for themselves. Molly's major goal at the moment is to have a self-sustaining business. From the items that she walked in the show, I would say that she's going to be extremely successful in the future.
Next, we spoke to Katie of KatieGariepy. She started designing when she was 16. Originally from NH, she moved here when she was 11. She gathers were inspiration from all kind of sources, street style, traveling, blogs, colors, etc. She loves to work with hand applique and uses black a lot in her designs. As of right now she just sells online, but is looking to branch out into stores into the future. She really wants to change-up the Buffalo fashion scene while staying true to herself. She lives by the motto "don't try to be someone who you aren't." Wise words from a wonderful designer!
Lastly we spoke to Shana of Thomas Lee Designs. Right now, Shana is transition to all bridal. She loves working with lace, feathers, and any other unconventional materials. She would love to follow in the footsteps of famed bridal designer Vera Wang. She is a self-taught designer and used to make clothing for her barbies with her grandmother when she was little. Hopefully within the next year she will live out her ultimate goal of opening her own shop in the Lewiston area and will specialize in custom bridal and bridal party attire. She has an eye for details and a romantic vision which is perfect for working in the bridal industry.
After we spoke to the designers, we were able to drink and eat a little...everything was absolutely delicious!
Then we were whisked into a separate room for the fashion show! The three ladies did such an amazing job and I was so impressed with the show. Plus I was in love with the black sparkly runway!
I really wish that I could have gotten photos of all of the outfits, but of course I was having a brain fart and couldn't figure out my camera settings. All in a day's work I suppose.
After the show, the girls from PEAR honored Darnell Barton, our local celebrity hero. If you haven't heard of Darnell, he is an NFTA bus driver who recently saved a woman who was about to commit suicide. You can read all about the story HERE. Truly inspirational.
I had such a fantastic time at this fundraiser, and I really hope that they made a great amount of money Child & Adolescent Treatment Services. It's a fantastic organization doing fantastic things.