Passionate About Fashion… For a Cause! Fashion Show to Benefit Victims of the April 2011 Tornadoes

May 7, 2012 Posted by ChristineO in B[+]Scene

Passionate About Fashion… For a Cause! Fashion Show to Benefit Victims of the April 2011 Tornadoes

ChristineO at Fashion Rocks for Tornadoe Relief On April 29, 2012, a beautiful Sunday evening, I had the opportunity to attend the 3^rd annual fashion show hosted by Mahogany and Pink, a local fashion and image consulting firm founded by Aisha Watts. In the midst of cameras flashing and heavy Kanye & Jay-Z bass lines thumping, I witnessed ten models rip the runway while showcasing the season’s hottest styles – all for a good cause.

While each year’s show benefits a different cause, this year’s cause was especially inspiring for many attendees of the 3^rd Annual Mahogany and Pink fashion show. The timely “Fashion Rocks for Tornado Relief: Benefit for Habitat for Humanity,” held just two days after the one-year anniversary of the April 27, 2011 tornadoes that struck Alabama, will benefit victims of the deadly storms, by way of Habitat for Humanity.

Situated in an almost hidden, yet welcoming and airy courtyard behind the Hotel Highland on Birmingham’s Southside, Fashion Rocks for Tornado Relief provided a fun, classy and relaxing event where Birmingham locals could support a great cause. The host, Harmony Mendoza, Alabama’s NBC 13 Meteorologist, combined just the right touches of humor, genuineness and earnestness to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome, yet still realize the gravity of the event’s mission. The models wore clothes provided by several local boutiques and national chains located in the Birmingham area. Some of them include Lotus Boutique, Urban Outfitters, a.k.a. girl stuff, Vintage, City Gear, Hot Java Clothing, and Shaia’s. The show also featured a Silent Auction, where guests bid on a variety of fabulous items, from a one hour Swedish massage donated by Purify Wellness & Spa to a one-night stay at the historic Redmont Hotel. While the auction items were awesome, what’s even more exceptional is that 100 percent of proceeds from the silent auction will be donated and used to help rebuild homes for tornado victims.

While being immersed in a culture of fashion and style is entertaining, fun and valuable (especially for people like me who need a little style guidance every now and then), what’s most admirable about the Fashion Rocks for Tornado Relief is the benefit’s local aspect. Almost everyone in Alabama knows someone who knows someone that may have been affected by last April’s storms. As we all initially sat in awe of what occurred, subsequently mourned for loved ones, lost homes/possessions, and broken communities, and then came together to work on rebuilding our lives and communities, we also gained something. We realized the resilient, compassionate and collaborative spirit that is rooted deep within ourselves, individually and as a community. Events such as this benefit continue to show the dedication of local businesses to helping rebuild not only homes, but families and dreams. Mahogany and Pink Owner Aisha Watts says that this year’s show is the organization’s most important benefit. “The tornadoes impacted so many people and we want to remind people that there’s still work to do,” Watts said. VP of Marketing for Birmingham’s Habitat for Humanity told fashion show attendees that they have helped over 100 families this past year by building and putting displaced families in homes. However, she says this will be a multi-year recovery effort and that the Habitat for Humanity is still receiving applications daily from people who realize that the assistance from FEMA must be supplemented by other means or that their insurance has gaps in it.

Like Aisha Watts remarked, there is still a lot of work to do when it comes to restoring our communities that were devastated by the infamous April 2011storms. But together, we can and will… especially with a fun and feisty fashion show thrown in here and there. Overall, I had a blast at the fashion show – I laughed, I mixed, I mingled, I learned, I reflected, and most importantly, I was inspired.

To recap pictures from the event please see below.

“Green Bottoms” A Fashion Love Story