Give a fashion designer unlimited funds and access for the ideal fabric mills in Europe and you also expect the most beneficial. Give a designer a pile of discarded garments, torn, stained, moth-eaten or otherwise unwearable, along with the unexpected takes place.
When San Francisco designers Jill Giordano and Brian Scheyer of Gr.dano identified two beige linen tablecloths from the St. Vincent de Paul discard bin, they envisioned a trench coat which includes a sculpted collar and sleeves. They washed and bleached the fabric for suppleness, formed the collar and sleeves with a series of pleats and tucks, and crafted crisscross panels in the back. The entire coat was topstitched and lined having a discarded silk curtain.
When this chic coat came down the runway at the fifth annual Discarded to Divine fundraiser and reside auction at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco on April 29, a spirited bidding war ensued among the 400 or so attendees. Founded by Sally Rosen in 2005, this year’s event – Jay Nicolas Sario of “Project Runway” was the featured designer – raised about $80,000 for the venerable agency that helps the poor and homeless.
The trench went for $1,500 – the highest bid in the night. “It’s stunning, wearable, and it is for an awesome bring about,” stated new owner Jennifer Fick, clinical director on the Epi Center MedSpa in San Francisco. Even though the vast majority of the clothes had been created in model-thin sizes, leading quite a few from the audience to sit on their hands instead of raise them to bid, each and every item sold.
Ace auctioneer Patrick Meade of Bonhams & Butterfields was happy, as were the Gr.dano duo, who stated the coat turned out so well, they plan to include a version of it in their line. “This is such an awesome way to raise money … and for established and up-and-coming designers as well as fashion students to show their talents – which we all know too well can be difficult in S.F.,” they wrote afterward in an e-mail.
Working with a men’s tweed coat and a thick wool Army jacket, Sario crafted a military-style vest and ruffled skirt ($550); Colleen Quen refashioned khakis into a trench with safari pockets, a wide, contoured sash and embossed leather details ($475); and Christopher Collins used upholstery fabric and a wedding dress to make an Edwardian-inspired coat and tucked full skirt ($550).
Kevin Parcasio, a former chef recently turned designer, created a fitted black jacket with illusion sleeves from discarded velvet, silk, tulle and wool, shown on the runway which has a tea-length vintage Chanel tulle skirt ($1,100 for both). Sario also designed a teal tweed halter dress having a hem of shiny paillettes made from Fiji Water plastic bottles ($450). The event was a San Francisco debut of sorts for Sario. This was lots of fun, he mentioned, “but what I really, really want is to show my new spring collection here in San Francisco.”
Fashion lover Christine Suppes, one from the evening’s benefactors, brought in some high-end designer clothes, getting donations from friend Ciina Feng, the Chanel rep at Neiman Marcus (her own vintage Chanel skirt); a couture little black dress with interlocking fabric in the front from the French label On Aura Tout Vu ($600), and two colorful patchwork-inspired dresses by Australian designer Aurelio Costarella ($825 for both).
