Fashion Shows for Charity

A stylish way to raise money for a local charity is to sponsor a fashion show. Morris Gad's company, Diamonds International, sponsors a show that raises funds for a women's shelter in Cancun. The show is a hit each year. If you're thinking about holding your own fashion show for a local organization, he has some tips to help you pull it off.

Finding Fashions

One of the first things to do when holding a charity fashion show is to find clothing to display. If you live near a design school, you're most likely in luck. Fashion design students are usually pretty eager to show off their clothing. You can also put out a call for local designers if you want to use more professional people.

If there are no fashion designers to be had in your area, you can turn to ready to wear fashions at a local store. See if you can partner with a local boutique. The owners of the boutique can help you style the outfits. If you can't find a local boutique willing to participate, think about getting the clothing from a major retailer as a last resort.

Picking a Theme

When you're looking for fashions to display, consider having a theme. The theme can center around the mission of the charity. For example, if you're supporting an animal shelter, think about having a completely vegan fashion show. That means no leather or wool. If you're supporting an environmental group, think about having an upcycled or sustainable show. 

Raising Money

Fundraising is the most important aspect of holding the fashion show. If you don't earn anything for the charity, you might as well have not had the show. Fashion shows have several potential streams of revenue.

●      Ticket sales. Charge a small fee, such as $5, to enter the show. Donate all of the ticket sales to the charity.

●      Sell food and drinks. Have a selection of food and drinks on offer at the show. You can have volunteers donate the drinks and food, so that all proceeds go to the charity. You can also choose to deduct the cost of the items from the donation.

●      Hold a raffle. Sell raffle tickets before and during the show to raise even more money. Ask locate businesses to donate items for the raffle, such as gift cards, clothing, or other services.

●      Sell the designs. If you're working with local or student designers, ask if they would be willing to contribute the fashions in the show to charity. You can sell the clothes for a set price or hold an auction to sell them to the highest bidder.

●      Find a sponsor. Ask a local business to sponsor the show. A trendy, local clothing boutique would be a great fit. You can also see if a larger clothing store would be willing to sponsor the show.

●      Sell modeling opportunities. Ask friends to volunteer to model so that you don't have to pay anyone. You can also sell the chance to model in the show beforehand or as a part of the show. Sell the modeling opportunity to the highest bidder or as part of the raffle.