New Thing #18 - Chic Boutiques

Today I went to my first real fashion show. About a year ago I designed a logo and some invitations for a division of Washington University. My contact there loved the design so much that he recruited me to do some pro bono work for his wife's organization. She works for Our Little Haven, a non-profit agency that helps abused and neglected children in St. Louis find new homes or adjust better in their current living situation. It's a really great place for kids to be rehabilitated and to grow emotionally, socially and physically. Every year they have a fashion show to raise money to help support the facility. I was asked to donate the design of the invitations. How could I not say yes? I had so much fun designing the invitations, and as a thank you, the director asked me to be her guest at the fashion show.

So, today, I brought my friend Meredith with me to the Hilton in Frontenac, which is a pretty swanky hotel. The day started off with all the local participating boutiques selling their wares. There were adult clothing vendors, children's clothing vendors, jewelers, soap and lotion vendors, fur vendors, and a local St. Louis artist selling his work. Meredith and I perused the booths, but for the most part we weren't interested in too many of the items. I'm sorry, I don't see the reasoning for paying nearly $40 for a scarf that celebrities wear. We did find one booth who used all natural ingredients for lotions, candles and bath salts. I got an Orange Dreamsicle soy candle that smells just like my favorite ice cream: Summer's Dream. Mere got a Hot Apple Pie candle along with some Lavender Vanilla body lotion. Good stuff.


They had a cash bar, as well as a complimentary vodka tasting station. And oh my gosh, the drink they were giving out was amazing. They mixed white grape juice with red grape juice and Bombora Vodka. It was premixed and served chilled with a frozen grape. We were technically only supposed to have one per person, but Mere and I sweet talked the girl and she gave us more than one. :) Don't worry, we only had two small glasses apiece. I was trying to be professional after all.

There was also a silent auction going on at the same time the boutiques were open. About an hour after we got there, lunch was served, followed by the fashion show. While we were waiting for the salads to be delivered, we made small talk with the other ladies at our table. Most of them thought we were either still in college or just graduated. Thank God for good genes, b/c they didn't believe that we were both 29. Maybe this is why I get hit on by college guys when I'm out at bars. lol :) The salads were followed by a chicken dish with risotto, wild mushrooms, tomatoes, artichokes and asparagus. De-licious. Well, everything except the asparagus. I never did understand the allure of asparagus. Anyways, while we were eating, we had some entertainment. And that came in the form of one of our servers. He was a short middle-aged man of European descent, and he didn't have any trouble voicing his opinions to the other servers. I don't know if it's just his normal personality or what, but he was practically yelling at the young girl also assigned to our table. I think at one point she even told him to chill out. He also didn't have much patience if you were a slow eater. He tried to take one ladies' salad a few times before she was even finished. I learned quickly not to put my fork down in case he thought I was done. And instead of asking the lady next to me if she would like more water he simply said "WATER!" I'm not sure how Meredith and I kept our composure without laughing.

After our eventful lunch, the fashion show began. Each of the participating boutiques had 4 or 5 models showing off some of their merchandise. While I admit I liked some of the clothes, I can guarantee I'd never pay that much for them. Kohl's and Target are more my speed. The best part of the fashion show (besides the delicious apple cheesecake we were eating at the time) was the little kids working the runway. Some of them looked like fish out of water, but some of them were having a great time being the center of attention. One little boy couldn't stop waving at the crowd and had the biggest grin on his face.

The actual fashion show part didn't last nearly as long as I thought, but it was still fun to watch. The boutiques were open for awhile after the show ended, but we didn't do any more shopping. We did get a few photo ops in though. I mean, we were at a fashion show after all.


The runway.


This little guy was smiling the whole way down the runway. But, then when he got to the end, that lower lip stuck out and he wasn't very happy anymore!


This guy was workin' it the whole time. He love his paparazzi!


Me with Mary, the coordinator I dealt with for the invitations. She's such a sweetheart.


Me & Mere (Note to self: never buy a shirt with small sequins on it. Ever. Again. I'm finding those sequins in my shower, on my bedroom floor, in my car, and I'm sure quite a few were left on the ballroom floor at the Hilton.)



The guy taking our photo was an artist, so I guess he thought it would be really "hip" to take our picture at an angle. I never did understand those artistic types. ;-)


Meredith and I had a lot of fun, and I hope Mary asks me to do the invitations again next year. Not only is it for a great cause, but it's a lot of fun too.