Interior designers face off in charity event
Interior designers took a small step out of their comfort zones recently, dabbling in runway fashions for a charity event.
The 12 teams at the ninth annual Designer Runway on Sept. 26 had to create a stylish outfit each in 90 minutes. Designers could select 7 yards of showroom fabric and yards of trim but were not permitted to use a pattern or sewing machine. Their only tailoring tools were pins, glue and tape.
The Laguna Design Center in Laguna Niguel, which offers design expertise and more than 1,500 upscale furnishing lines, held the event, which raised money for the Illumination Foundation, an Irvine-based organization focused on ending homelessness.
It was hosted by Newport Beach-based real estate firm The Colton Co. and drew hundreds of designers and consumers to view fashions from Luxe by Lisa Vogel and Grayse, the label by the mother-daughter team of Kelly and Marie Gray, formerly of St. John Knits.
As guests mingled over cocktails, wine and appetizers from 15 culinary sponsors, interior designers hurried to construct outfits that would grace the runway.
“It’s an opportunity for interior designers to cross into fashion and show how capable they are,” said David Colton, president of The Colton Co. “We get to see their incredible talent and we’re raising money for a great cause.”
After a premiere of looks by Grayse and Luxe by Lisa Vogle, Kelly Gray and Vogle joined fellow judges Thomas Lavin of Thomas Lavin Showroom, Sarah Strader of Sarah Strader Design, and Tanika Ray, a television and event host. The panel would critique the 12 teams of interior design firm representatives
on ingenuity, complete runway presentation, creativity and the concept’s overall achievement.
Steve Alt Design Group placed first. The winning look was based on a woman who could be the muse of Toulouse-Lautrec or a member of le tout Paris. The group used bright colors, sheer fabric and passementerie.
Lavin praised the mix of 1880s and Moulin Rouge styles.
The evening generated more than $200,000 for the Illumination Foundation.
Before the fashion show, Paul Leon, president of the foundation, talked about the organization’s mission. He said about 32,000 children in Orange County are homeless or living in unstable housing.
