BY STEVE DINNEN
A lot of fashion wear and custom-made clothing gets shown off to Des Moines audiences at charitable events and design shows.
Past, present and future shows include Runway Ballet, staged to benefit Ballet Des Moines. There also is a fashion show hosted by the Leukemia and Lymphona Society’s Iowa Chapter, and the Black Tie Gala put on by the Variety Club of Iowa. The nonprofit Iowa Army of Pink, which seeks to raise awareness of the dangers of dense breast tissue, is hosting a fashion show and luncheon April 13 at the Hyperion Club in Johnston.
One of the more ambitious events is the fashion show held annually by the Department of Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management at Iowa State University. Thousands of people crowd into Stephens Auditorium on ISU’s campus in Ames to watch 100-plus models showcase neckwear, dresses, suits―anything that will fit on your body―that are all designed by students. Judges from the design world are on hand to award smart efforts.
We also have the Bubble Ball, coming up on April 6 at the Iowa Events Center. This is not high fashion but rather fun fashion since it features dozens of designs that all use―bubble wrap! More than $1 million has been raised by this event over the years to fund the work of ChildServe. The charity provides the bubble wrap, and professional and amateur designers provide some pretty wacky outfits.
