5.09.2012

glam for good: women helping women

RGA model Yuliya, wearing Kaufmanfranco, and Mary Alice Stephenson

This past weekend I had the honor and privilege of assisting uber stylist Mary Alice Stephenson and her studio director Denise Caldwell with the Grace Centers of Hope Women Helping Women fashion show. It was truly an incredible experience, one that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Based in Pontiac, Mich., Grace Centers of Hope is a full recovery and rehabilitation campus for homeless men, women, and children who have been abused or addicted to drugs and alcohol. GCH helps people with nowhere else to turn rebuild their lives and gives them hope for a better future.

Every year, GCH hosts the Women Helping Women fundraiser, a luncheon and fashion show starring professional models and women and children from the shelter. For the past several years, Mary Alice, a Birmingham, Mich., native, has come home to spread her "glam for good" message and bring some serious high fashion to the GCH runway.

I adored working with Mary Alice - she's an incredible stylist, and it was amazing to be part of such a worthy cause. Sometimes - when you need the next model on the runway now, when a certain dress isn't available for a photo shoot, when a very expensive designer piece is ruined - it's easy to forget that fashion isn't a matter of life and death, and it's important to keep things in perspective. However, fashion is very powerful. On Saturday, all you had to do to see that was take a look at the faces of the GCH women. Dressed in gorgeous gowns, their hair and makeup perfectly done, dripping in jewels, they were transformed into strong, beautiful women with the self confidence and power to create their own bright futures.

To learn more about Grace Centers of Hope and to support the cause, visit www.gracecentersofhope.org.

Model Samantha in Marchesa

Devin, one of the GCH women, in Atelier Versace

Model Courtney in Sophie Theallet

RGA model Tika in Naeem Khan with Austin, one of the GCH children,
in an outfit from Sam & Lola

Denise Caldwell, me, Mary Alice Stephenson, GCH CEO Pastor Kent Clark,
and GCH Women's Program Director Dr. Pam Clark 

Mary Alice Stephenson and the equally amazing
GCH Director of Communications/Special Events,
Shannon Grace Sokol

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