The Chicago Glitterati have arrived and have taken their seats. My heart seems to be thumping in unison with the bass blaring from the DJ’s speakers, as I wait backstage. The lights & music go down, and I am finally able to walk out and welcome the crowd to the 2^nd Annual For the Sake of Fashion show to benefit the DePaul Chapter of Unicef. This event has been in the works for me since the 2013 FTSOF ended last year!

All FTSOF monies donated went straight to UNICEF, to help bring the number of children who die from preventable causes down to ZERO and see that every child has a safe and healthy childhood.

Saturday’s event would not have been possible without the help of my extensive crew of dedicated fashion show volunteers, and I would like to give a shout out to all of them. Eric Leino, and all the men of Sig Ep, who gave up their Saturday morning to help set up the event chairs, line the runway with lights, stuff swag bags, carry the models clothes around, steam the garments, help to decorate, and in general, did anything that needed to be done, I owe you a debt of gratitude. Also deserving a thank you is Marc Katz, who styled menswear and kept me partially sane throughout this process.

Once again, Brandon Jeffrey came to the rescue as our DJ and lighting director, bringing in his friends Kohl Murdock to help with lighting the event and photography. They each went above and beyond the call of duty to help make the FTSOF 2014 event so incredible, both visually and musically.

Camille Smith did a meticulous job with PR and Press and VIP guest event check in.

Christine Dador and Nich Butts wrangled the models, and made sure they stepped out into the spotlight impeccably dressed, while Marc and Brian made sure they were styled properly and sent down the runway on time. Brian DeVito…how do I even begin to thank Brian? He was there for me every step of the way with FTSOF, from pulling clothes to the whole day of the even. He is a saint.

Kristen Pulice and her team did an astonishing job on each models hair and make up, and Anne Kennedy was miraculous in helping the models get in and out of their looks~ even saving the day with a broken zipper repair!

To the designers, Lagi Nadeau, Christina Karin, Chicago Playground, Iridium, Fourth is King, Defiant Order Clothing, and Leaders 1354 that were gracious enough to lend me their remarkable Haute couture and old school ensembles, I am astounded by your generosity and talent.

Many thanks also needs to go to The Ford Model Agency for all their help and support in partnering with me for this event. Their models were brilliant, as were the DePaul students who were kind enough to strut their stuff down the runway, too.

Finally, a big thank you goes to my roommate Rachel Paulus, who has endured my insanity throughout the past year of organizing and planning this event. Although she is studying for LSAT’s, she stayed by my side throughout the day Saturday, to help out in anyway I needed.

I am eternally grateful to all my wonderful friends for their gifts of time, energy, and talent! They truly embody the words of Mahatma Gandhi when he said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

See you all next year for the  2015 For the sake of Fashion!