fashion for a good cause? yes please! earlier this month i had the pleasure of attending the united way's WINGs flight of fashion 2013, an event featuring fashion from local boutiques and designers. hosted and styled by grant whittaker, the runway segments were split into high fashion cities of the world: NYC, paris, tokyo, milan, and madrid. in between segments, grant and allison kaplan, shopping and style editor of Mpls St. Paul Magazine, recapped each look, commenting on current trends and inspiration. the collection of garments that went down the runway were more than most fashionistas could handle. my eyes widened when i saw a vintage chanel couture tulle dress. and the leather? beautiful and buttery leather garments that made me weak in the knees.
"it's so important that we support the community, and what better way than to do that with fashion?" WINGs (women investing in the next generation), a division of the United Way, is all about investing in women by offering them resources and tools to maintain financial stability while expanding their skills to help "take flight."
the event reached out to the local community for support. runway looks were provided by boutiques including grethen house, june, fashion avenue, and arrow minneapolis; local designers emma berg and stephanie lake also provided pieces for the runway. the elixery, a minneapolis-based cosmetic house, created a custom shade called "take flight" - a sheer neutral pink - with proceeds going to WINGs.
flight of fashion was a reminder of the strength, influence, and power that a community has to forge new paths for women. it's often that we hear of international struggles but it's not often that we hear about the individual stories that happen in our community.
