DRESSEMBER (Event Spotlight)
20 January 2017
We have an exciting event spotlight for you today! Alice Issac of Alice Issac Productions has shared her DRESSEMBER event from December, thanks Alice!
DRESSEMBER is a nonprofit made up of gentleman and lady advocates who wear dresses and bow ties during the month of December to raise awareness and funds to end trafficking.
That’s where the motto, “A Dress Can Change The World” comes from!
They asked me to produce their first ever kick off fundraiser party that would feature a night of fun, fashion and of course, offering guests a way to partner in offering freedom to those being trafficked.
The DRESSEMBER brand logo is a hanger. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to incorporate a hanger into the décor!
While it was not a Christmas party, I thought a small nod towards the Christmas season would be appropriate.
I bought some plastic hangers and played around with the shapes they created when placed in different formations until I came up with these snowflake-like designs.
Zip ties held the 14 hangers in place and the gold spray paint made them look classy and polished! I used baby hangers to create different sizes and different large shaped hangers to create dimensions.
I created an outdoor marketplace where ethical brands could sell their goods and guests could get some early Christmas shopping done all while supporting a great cause.
The night included a fashion show of the 2016 DRESSEMBER Collection. (All hand-made by trafficking survivors).
We also had all of the usual party staples such as a photo-booth, dj, bar, catering, and step and repeat! I made a place for the great raffle and silent auction prizes as well.
When I was designing the part of the program where they extend an ask for donation, I learned that it costs $6,300 to save just ONE girl out of the sex trade. That’s when I decided there needs to be a tangible way for guests to partner to make a difference regardless their size budget. I thought in the same way that a great dress isn’t one size fits all but rather fits you perfectly, each hanger should offer pricing that can fit a wide range of budgets.
The hangers were broken down into $30 – $900 increments, each one meeting a specific need for the girl rescued to thrive and succeed after being rescued. To my joy, the rack was quickly cleared by generous empathetic guests! A girl will be gifted back her dignity and freedom through this event and the guests all went home feeling like heroes!
Thank you AllSeated for having the venue floorplan already in your data base so I could focus my energy where it was most needed during the planning of this event!
