BizBash Toronto
BizBash Toronto
   ADVERTISE   |  FEEDBACK  |   SUBSCRIBE   |   ABOUT US  |  RSS
EVENT REPORT   10.19.07 11:01 AM PRINT | SEND TO A FRIEND |
Fashion Takes Action Green Fund-raiser
The couture show was eco-friendly in everything from its shuttle service to its runway design.
Fashion Takes Action was the latest Toronto event to play hard but leave a light footprint. The earth-friendly benefit at Evergreen Brick Works attracted a strong lineup of environmentally-aware Toronto designers, including Thien LE, Pat McDonagh, Farley Chatto, and Ula Zukowska, and profit from the event went to the national not-for-profit group Environmental Defense. However, this eco-conscious gala was about more than green name dropping or feel-good fund-raising. Event promoters and planners Kelly Drennan, president of Third Eye Media, and Katie Lister, president of Katie Inc., covered all the bases in their efforts to create a major party that hardly had an impact on the environment.

 To begin, the Web site encouraged media and invited guests to travel by subway to a station close to the venue, where eco-friendly Toyota Prius cars would be on hand to provide complementary shuttle service to the party site. (Unfortunately, the number of guests overwhelmed the shuttle capacity, forcing some guests to take cabs.)
CONTINUED >

PHOTO GALLERY

Aesthetics Earthworks provided a 20- by 80-foot sod runway, complete with potted trees and plants, for the Fashion Takes Action fund-raiser at Evergreen Brick Works. - Photos from: Third Eye Media
Aesthetics Earthworks provided a 20- by 80-foot sod runway, complete with potted trees and plants, for the Fashion Takes Action fund-raiser at Evergreen Brick Works.
Photos from: Third Eye Media
Designer Farley Chatto used bamboo, soy, and silk to craft an eco-sensitive collection; his work raised $600 in the live auction.  - Photos from: Third Eye Media
Designer Farley Chatto used bamboo, soy, and silk to craft an eco-sensitive collection; his work raised $600 in the live auction. 
Photos from: Third Eye Media
The City of Toronto poured free tap water from an HTO to a Go mobile water tank. - Photos from: Third Eye Media
The City of Toronto poured free tap water from an HTO to a Go mobile water tank.
Photos from: Third Eye Media
A model posed on the sod runway in a bamboo dress by designer Thien Lee. - Photos from: Third Eye Media
A model posed on the sod runway in a bamboo dress by designer Thien Lee.
Photos from: Third Eye Media
From inside the Evergreen Brick Works, guests have plenty of opportunity to view the surrounding gardens. - Photos from: Third Eye Media
From inside the Evergreen Brick Works, guests have plenty of opportunity to view the surrounding gardens.
Photos from: Third Eye Media
 
Fashion Takes Action Fund-raiser, Brick Works

Beverages Mill Street Brewery
Catering En Ville Event Design and Catering
Rentals Chair-man Mills
Signage, Printing, Graphics CJ Graphics
Venue Evergreen at the Brick Works

Evergreen Brick Works provided a partially open-air setting for the event. The venue is essentially a concrete floor with one crumbling brick wall, strategically placed beams, and a corrugated iron roof. EnWise Power Solutions attached miniature green-and-white plastic wind turbines in a vertical line on the iron beams that serve as dividers between the venue’s interior and exterior spaces.

To reduce the gala’s hydro footprint, EuroLite installed energy-efficient lighting throughout, and Bullfrog provided electricity obtained from clean, renewable sources such as windmills and water power. As well, Green Shift supplied eco-friendly disposable cutlery, cups, and napkins; Eco Flora provided ecologically grown flowers; and the City of Toronto poured free tap water from an HTO to a Go mobile water tank.

For dinner, En Ville Catering served hot goat cheese and mushroom risotto, while Toronto Sprouts had guests lining up for an organic seven-sprout salad with poppy-seed dressing. Locally grown organic vegetables with dip, cheese, and crackers covered two large, round tables in the middle of the space. No dinner seating was provided for the reception, encouraging guests to mingle around the silent auction area. Corporate sponsors donated eco-friendly auction items such as gift baskets filled with environmentally friendly products and a one-year membership to auto-sharing company ZipCar.

EuroLite, EnWise Power, Bullfrog Power, Aesthetic Earthworks, Banrock Station, and Carbon Zero were all major sponsors. Each donated products or services to the fund-raiser and were rewarded with a logo on the event Web site and signage on tripods at the venue.

For the fashion show, Aesthetic Earthworks designed a 20- by 80-foot sod runway, complete with plants and trees. A number of guests were unaware that some chairs flanking the runway were reserved. This led to the awkward situation of volunteers asking them to vacate their seats shortly before the lights dimmed. The show included performers from Silhouettes Modern Dance Company dancing to recorded music. The clothing models walked barefoot along the sod runway, around live potted plants, and under the energy-efficient lights. Most tickets were confirmed electronically, and signage was printed by CJ Graphics on earth-friendly FSC paper.
RELATED TOPICS Pat McDonagh, Farley Chatto, Ula Zukowska, City of Toronto, Environment

MORE EVENT REPORT STORIES
Audi Unveils Sports Car and Magazine in Downtown Parking Lot
Cisco Caps Three-Day Partner Summit With Executives-Only Rock 'n Roll Gala
Mondavi Builds Replica of Napa Vineyard for Tasting at Nathan Phillips Square
Freed Developments Reveals Designer Partnerships at Fashion House Cocktail Party
Law Firm Hosts Rooftop Fashion Show for Bank Executives

MORE STORIES ABOUT CITY OF TORONTO
City Plans Road Closures, Expanded T.T.C. Service for Nuit Blanche
Close-Act Show Launches WinterCity Festival
Carole Boughannam Is Planning the Launch of Toronto's Holiday Festival—and the 2009 Edition of Nuit Blanche

More Suppliers/Venues to Consider ADVERTISEMENT
St. Andrew's Club & Conference Centre
St. Andrew’s Club & Conference Centre is a unique integration of luxurious surroundings and modern technology, creating the perfect setting for successful meetings, corporate events, and social functions. More >>

EMAIL THIS RESOURCE
A2D2 Inc.
A2D2 Inc. is an innovative contemporary circus/dance fusion company specializing in aerial artistry and dynamic dance. Leaving audiences excited and inspired is what A2D2 does best! More >>

EMAIL THIS RESOURCE
Longo's Kitchen Catering
Longo’s Kitchen Catering has a passion for food. Our executive chef and knowledgeable staff will delight your guests with ready-to-serve, beautifully presented fresh cuisine. More >>

EMAIL THIS RESOURCE
 
Search Our Venue Directory








MOST POPULAR STORIES
1. Mondavi Builds Replica of Napa Vineyard for Tasting at Nathan Phillips Square
2. Freed Developments Reveals Designer Partnerships at Fashion House Cocktail Party
3. Audi Unveils Sports Car and Magazine in Downtown Parking Lot
4. Cisco Caps Three-Day Partner Summit With Executives-Only Rock 'n Roll Gala
5. Cheese Boutique, Art Gallery Open in Joint Space at the Distillery District
6. Spanish Eatery to Launch Cooking Classes
7. Proving Your Worth: How to Avoid Getting the Boot—and Fight It If You Do
8. How Can You Make a Trade Show Booth Eco-Friendly?
9. Proving Your Worth: 5 Discussion Points to Make the Case for In-House Event Jobs
10. Proving Your Worth: The Example