RetroFittings, a one-of-a-kind fashion show and fundraising event that benefits St. Vincent de Paul, is back for another year on Oct. 18. And organizers say this one will be their best one yet.
If you haven’t heard of RetroFittings before, it’s where St. Vincent de Paul teams up with UC’s DAAP program to showcase original fashions of students from UC’s top-ranked fashion program. Students shop in any of the seven local St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores with a budget of only $15 each, turning items they find in the stores into runway fashion.
In addition to the fashion show, the event also features an on-site boutique with hand selected, curated and designer items from St. Vincent de Paul thrift stores. Just to give you an idea of the deals you’ll find, I got a sneak peek of this year’s boutique and I found this perfect-for-fall Rag & Bone sweater top for only $14, this fun cocktail dress for only $10, this classic-with-a-twist little black dress long sleeves with a beautiful faux ostrich feather trim for only $12, and a cozy faux cheetah fur coat for only $35.
They will also have a silent auction and a live auction with all proceeds from the event benefiting many of the programs of St. Vincent de Paul. Just to give you the idea of the impact — just last year, St. Vincent de Paul fed more than 100,000 people through food pantries and kept 5,300 families in their homes through the homelessness prevention program.
Some of the live auction items at RetroFittings 2018 include a week’s stay in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and tickets to see Elton John at U.S. Bank Arena in February.
New to this year’s event is the location as it heads back to the recently-renovated Music Hall.
This year’s event will be held Thursday, Oct. 18, at 6pm. General admission tickets for the event are $60 and include heavy hors d’oeuvres, dessert, and two drink tickets. VIP admission tickets are $100 and include heavy hors d’oeuvres, dessert, three drink tickets, and priority seating.
To learn more about the event and to purchase tickets, visit www.retrofittings.org.