Tapping into a young and diverse audience, three organizations banded together January 27 to host a fashion showcase of emerging designers, reception, and silent auction. The event, dubbed "the Pre-Shows," was organized by photo and digital production company Sandbox Studio, sponsored by Arizona Beverages, and raised funds for Fashion Delivers, which donates clothing to those affected by poverty and natural disasters. Held at Sandbox's SoHo offices—a loftlike space with 12-foot ceilings and views of the Hudson River—the evening affair drew 300 guests.
The idea for the Pre-Shows was set in motion about six month ago when Sandbox production assistant Jessica Ralston reached out to Fashion Delivers. "Sandbox has just been wanting to give back philanthropy-wise," said Ralston, who organized event. "We looked at a bunch of charities, and Fashion Delivers caught our eye." Separately, Arizona approached the nonprofit about a possible partnership, and the Pre-Shows seemed like an ideal outlet.
"We haven't really done anything like this before as an organization," said Fashion Delivers' volunteer marketing consultant, Peter Paris, who worked with Ralston to organize the event. The Pre-Shows strayed from the formality of the nonprofit's annual events—a fall gala and summer awards dinner—while also drawing a different mixture of guests. The fund-raiser's attendees spanned the fashion, music, and business worlds. "We wanted a very eclectic crowd," Ralston said.
During the cocktail reception, bartenders mixed drinks using Arizona iced teas and 44 North vodka. The beverage brand also printed T-shirts created by Man vs. Machine, one of the evening's designers, which the event's volunteers wore and sold on site. The apparel will also be available for purchase on Arizona's Web site and Facebook page, with 100 percent of the profits donated to Fashion Delivers.
For the runway show, Sandbox painted an entire room black, in reference to an Alexander McQueen show. Three emerging designers—Shumaq, Man vs. Machine, and Karolina Zmarlak—presented their collections. Between the individual runway shows, ukelele-playing YouTube sensation Jessica Latshaw performed two of her original songs.
One key factor to making the event more accessible was keeping ticket prices low, which Paris attributed to the generosity of the function's sponsors. Three ticket levels ranged from $75 for general admission to $150 for a front-row seat at the runway show and a gift bag. Attendees could also bid on items at the silent auction, which included purses by Buffalo, a Caribbean vacation valued at $7,000, and a basketball signed by former pro player Charles Barkley.
A VH1 crew, filming a segment for a new reality series starring celebrity stylist June Ambrose, added a level of excitement to the event; the series premieres March 19.
