2024 Color Me Goodwill Fashion Show – Designer Application
Goodwill’s Mission – Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina is a nonprofit organization that has served the community since 1926. Through the sale of donated items in our stores, Goodwill funds employment and training programs that help people find hope, opportunity, and jobs. Goodwill is recognized nationally as one of the most efficient charities – channeling 87 percent of revenue to mission and sustainability – enabling us to serve more than 26,000 people in northwest NC each year.
Show Objectives – Color Me Goodwill (CMG) is an annual, fast-paced fashion event with the following objectives:
- Educate the local community on the mission of Goodwill, focusing on recycling, upcycling, local impact, and how donating and shopping enable Goodwill to help thousands of people in western North Carolina each year find jobs and reach financial stability.
- Showcase the talents and creativity of local designers.
- Highlight the great deals and stylish finds that shoppers can find in Goodwill retail and outlet stores.
Event Details – The 2024 Color Me Goodwill Fashion Show will take place on Friday, April 19 at The Orange Peel, downtown Asheville. Doors open to the public at 6 p.m.; fashion show begins at 7 p.m.
Show Director – The Color Me Goodwill show director is Leanna Echeverri, a fashion designer who has been a participant in past Color Me Goodwill events and she won the shows in 2018 and 2019. This will be Leanna’s third year serving as a primary planner and director for the show.
How the Color Me Goodwill Fashion Show Works – Each designer will receive a $200 gift card to use in our retail stores. We ask that you utilize items from our Goodwill stores to create your five looks. As long as it’s purchased from our stores, you are able to utilize any material available to you. Past designers have used many forms of fabric (shower curtains, curtains, and tablecloths), reconstructed apparel, and bits and pieces of typical DIY materials, as well. We do ask that you sew and design your items to create your specific looks, rather than just style each of the looks. Designers are allowed to collaborate with their own assistants. Employees of Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina are not eligible to participate as a designer but can participate in supporting roles.
Collection Colors – Each designer will submit their three top color choices. The CMG team will make every effort to assign designers’ top choices; however, second and third choices may have to be assigned in instances where more than one designer pick the same color as their top choice. Your assigned color will serve as the inspiration for all five looks in your collection. You are welcome to use prints and patterns but at least 80 percent of your collection must be designed in hues of your chosen color.
Construction – As mentioned above, the designs need to be constructed out of items from Goodwill retail or outlet stores.
Number of Designs – We require five (5) designs per designer.
Models – Each designer will be responsible for identifying and confirming four (4) models for their collection. Models are all on a volunteer basis. All models must be 18 or older. In addition, each designer will be assigned a Goodwill program participant (“client”) who has benefited from Goodwill’s mission. Client models will have a unique story to share; they represent what is at the heart of this event. Client models will be assigned by December 31 and will be local to the Asheville area. After the client model is assigned, it’s the designer’s responsibility to connect with the client for fittings. Client models could be male or female. We’ve found it’s best to get to know the client models prior to designing for them.
Hair and Makeup – The CMG team will have a list of stylists for the designers to choose from, at no charge. We will contact you with these assignments in February so designers can collaborate with the hair and makeup teams to plan the looks.
Run of Show – The show will take place on Friday, April 19, 2024, at The Orange Peel in downtown Asheville located at 101 Biltmore Avenue. Although the show begins at 7 p.m., Color Me Goodwill is considered an all-day event due to a morning rehearsal, hair/makeup, photography, and show. The preliminary schedule for the day of the show is outlined below:
- 9 a.m. – designers and models arrive
- 10 a.m. – show rehearsal – all designers and models must be present
- Noon to 4 p.m. – hair and makeup styling
- 4 p.m. – professional photo shoot with models
- 6 p.m. – doors open to public
- 7 p.m. – Color Me Goodwill fashion show
Advertising and Promotion – A promotional photo shoot with a professional photographer may take place in late January or early February. These photos could be used in advertising which will include billboards, social media, signage, promotional materials, press releases and other materials. Designers who participate in this shoot will have access to the photography for their portfolios. All show participants will be asked to sign a consent form in the event we use images for future advertising purposes.
Social Media and Video – Social media is one of the most effective ways to drive interest in Color Me Goodwill. Our audience is very interested in how you generate ideas and how you incorporate your creativity into the designs. We encourage you to help promote Color Me Goodwill by posting photos, video, reels, stories, etc., on your own social media and tag us (we are @goodwillnwnc on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter). Suggested content: raw materials purchased at Goodwill, critical steps in the process from creative to production, behind-the-scenes moments, final designs. Photos/video can also be sent to Goodwill Communications Manager Sara Butner, email / 336-543-8640.
We also ask that you help expand our social media reach by liking, sharing, and engaging with posts relating to Color Me Goodwill. Follow us on social media (see list below), invite friends to the event, and use our event hashtags. Please provide links/names for your social media profiles so that we can tag you in our posts.
Please engage with Color Me Goodwill on social media using the links and hashtags below:
- Show Facebook Page: facebook.com/ColorMeGoodwill/
- Facebook Event: facebook.com/events/1303988597098157
- Goodwill Facebook Page: facebook.com/GoodwillNWNC
- Instagram: @goodwillnwnc
- Twitter: @GoodwillNWNC
- Hashtags: #colormegoodwill; #CMG2024
We will shoot a video of each designer in February that will be shown at the Color Me Goodwill event. This video will introduce each collection and allow the audience to get to know the designers and learn about what inspires them. Shorter video segments will be used as promotional content on social media. Your participation is required for the video. Like the photography, you can receive a copy of the entire segment to utilize for your personal promotion as well. Information and schedule TBD.
Judging and Winners – A panel of judges, representing the local media and design community, will select the overall winner and the audience will vote for the winner of the “people’s choice” award. Prizes are $1,000 for the overall winner and $500 for audience choice. Checks will be mailed to winners after the show.
Designer Requirements
- January:
- Select and confirm your four (4) models.
- Pick up your $200 gift card from Goodwill’s Career Center (1616 Patton Avenue, Asheville).
- Connect with your Goodwill client model (we will provide contact information).
- Send photos of your raw materials and beginning stages of design to Goodwill Communications Manager Sara Butner, email.
- February:
- Begin collaboration with hair/makeup.
- Participate in video shoot (date and schedule TBD).
- Send photos of your progress to Sara Butner, email.
- March:
- Send photos of your progress to Sara Butner, email.
- April:
- Take a few last-minute photos of progress; send to Sara Butner, email.
- Have 5 designs ready/fitted for all of your models by April.
- Participate fully in the Color Me Goodwill Show, April 19, 2024.
Show Contacts – If you have any questions or comments about the process or show, please contact either Leanna, email / 828-575-6446 or David Yuenger, Event Director, email.