Fashions of past decades focus of charity fundraiser

A Waikaia fashion show was a riotous success as local shepherds and retired models donned outfits from days of old and strutted down the runway for a charitable triple-threat.

The town’s recreation centre was host to the Waikaia Fashion Extravaganza on Saturday night, where volunteers modelled clothes from the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and beyond to raise money.

The causes supported were the Southern Cancer Society, Southern Charity Hospital and farmer-assisting Rural Support.

The idea for the show came to organiser Helen Marrible after her fellow organiser and neighbour Leslie McGregor pulled out a gown from when she graduated from modelling school in 1968.

Ms McGregor became head of wardrobe, sourcing all the outfits, and they roped in other organisers Katrina Bristow, Megan Horrell and Anita Williamson to help with the event.

She said it was Ms Bristow, who also works the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards, who taught the models, most of them shepherds from the local area, how to walk and pose.

The women chose cancer as a charity because the issue is "close to everybody’s heart" and the hospital as they were both good causes, Ms McGregor said.

But it was after the ladies saw Rural Support representative Lindsay Wright’s talk on male farmers’ mental health in December, that the two women found their third charity.

"We both looked at each other and thought ‘that’s a good one’," Ms Marrible said.

Compere for the night was Southern radio host Bradley Craig, who was there between fashion eras to tell jokes and local trivia.

He also introduced the Cancer Society’s Gavin Booth and Rural South’s Rachel Nicholson who both spoke to their causes.

Ms Bristow also played a musical intermission featuring jazzy cabaret classics like Cry Me a River.

The cash bar was manned by the local fire brigade with proceeds going towards the cause, as well as those from raffles with a cache of donated gift baskets as prizes.

Following the runway event there was an auction where firewood, a whole salmon, pearl earrings and a locket with 30g of Waikaia gold flakes was on offer to the highest bidder.

About 170 tickets were sold, which raised a rough total of $5950, but the organisers were yet to add up the proceeds collected from the raffles, bar and auction when The Ensign spoke to them on Monday.

They said they would post the final number on Facebook once they knew.

ella.scott-fleming@alliedpress.co.nz