Posted May 31, 2024
DOORWAYS | 1101 N. Jefferson Avenue | St. Louis MO 63106
An Evening of Unconventional Fashion, ALTBALL 2024 Attracts A Sell-out Crowd
St. Louis – May 31, 2024 The inaugural ALTBALL may have come to a close, but the energetic atmosphere and creative expressions that filled the room continue to reverberate. This unique celebration, a fusion of gallery party, fashion show, and underground ball, brought together 17 local designers who reimagined everyday household essentials as avant-garde fashion statements. The runway show featured 30 stunning models showcasing these designs, providing a memorable experience for everyone involved.
The theme, “Beauty From The Basics: A Celebration of All That Can Flourish When the Basics are Covered,” was brought to life through the creative expressions of designers, models, dancers, drag queens, and ballroom legends. The event, hosted by the DOORWAYS Friends in Deed, benefited DOORWAYS and featured special performances by the Divas of the Grove and TENS Ballroom Experience.
Held in the Contemporary Art Museum, over 200 guests arrived dressed in their finest attire and were greeted by friendly pom-pom shaking hosts from Yes Honey Studio. During the cocktail hour, guests enjoyed interactive experiences, including a display of designers’ other creations and Sewn Portraits by Tucker Pierce, who donated their sewing portrait donations back to DOORWAYS. Be Lovely Photography captured tantalizing photos during the event and runway show, which can be viewed here.
Additionally, Glow Booth STL provided a unique “photo booth” experience that added to the evening’s festivities. The Fourth City Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were on hand, dressed in their creative “trash bag habits” to sell event-branded clacker fans and provide a special blessing. Guests also had access to free HIV screening by Dr. Sam Tochtrop and Nicole Carr, FNP-BC from Southampton Community Healthcare and related information from representatives at Vivent Health.
The fashion competition was judged by Harriet Fitzpatrick, Opal M. Jones – President & CEO of DOORWAYS, and Susan Barrett. The winners included Vanessa Frost for Best Runway Performance and Felia Davenport and Brandin Vaughn tying for Best Design.
Special thanks to all who helped create and carry this event forward. Chris Lintz’s name is at the top of that list. A DOORWAYS Board Member and a member of the leadership committee in the DOORWAYS Friends in Deed volunteer fundraising group, Lintz planned and implemented the event with support from Haliday Douglas, Max Maxedon, and other dedicated Friends in Deed members. Their hard work and dedication made the event a huge success.
We express special appreciation for the SPONSORS of this inaugural event:
- Crescent Parts & Equipment
- Dillon Gray LeFan
- Legacy Dental Care
- Lewis Rice/Design Luxury
- Neiman Marcus
- Park Avenue Coffee
- Kim Bouldin-Jones & Mike Reardon
- Michael Brave and Keith Thompson
- Don Foster
See you on the runway next year!
About the Friends In Deed Volunteer Group:
DOORWAYS’ Friends in Deed is a group of volunteers who sponsor social and fundraising activities throughout the year. Friends In Deed volunteers are people dedicated to the future success of DOORWAYS and our clients! Their goals are to increase awareness of the DOORWAYS mission, enhance the DOORWAYS volunteer base, build future agency volunteer leadership, and generate additional revenue through fundraising events. The Friends In Deed group always has projects on the horizon! For the most up-to-date details, follow them on their FACEBOOK page:
About DOORWAYS:
DOORWAYS offers housing and supportive services to improve quality of life and health outcomes for people battling homelessness and illness from HIV and other chronic conditions resulting from a life of poverty. Medical research has led to the development of medications that can render the virus undetectable. An undetectable virus is untransmittable, ending new cases. However, it is nearly impossible for an individual to manage an HIV healthcare regimen without stability within the social determinants of health: housing, nutrition/hunger, income/employment, education/skills-building, community, etc. In response, DOORWAYS has evolved over the years to provide assistive, emergency, flexible, and permanent housing programs; Metro and Outstate subsidies programs to prevent homelessness for those in their own accommodations through rent and utility assistance; and empowerment programs offering food security, pharmacy delivery, behavioral health counseling, employment/income assistance, self-development programming, one-on-one goal management, and linkage to resources. In fiscal year 2022, we served 3,184 men, women, and children in the St. Louis bi-state region. For more information visit our website:
For More Information:
Karen Carpentier 314-328-2704 | kcarpentier@doorwayshousing.org
Photo Credit: Be Lovely Photography
