Goodwill North Central Texas hosted Project Goodwill on Thursday, April 7, 2022 at Ridglea Country Club following a two-year hiatus.
This fashion show, design competition and fundraiser gala tasked aspiring designers from the community with designing wearable garments using $100 worth of unconventional materials from local Goodwill stores and presenting those looks in a runway show. In 2022, sixteen aspiring designers used materials like holiday décor, placemats, party hats, lampshades, air filters, cutting boards and even wet wipes to complete their looks. Contestants competed for top honors in design materials, method and runway presentation.
First place went to Renacio Reyes, who designed a dress entirely out of four framed pictures, wire and a shower curtain they found at Goodwill. Amber Houston received second place for her dress made of cutting boards, air filters and a file organizer. Third place went to Meagan Tate for her dress made of yoga mats, drawer liners, canvas print artwork and scrapbook materials. People’s Choice was awarded to Kate Oxley who used the inside of a cooler, air filters, car window sunshades, toilet seat covers, mylar balloons, wet wipes and foil tin baking pans to complete her look.
“This is not an outfit competition, it’s a true design competition featuring runway-ready looks,” said Shay Dial Johnson, Vice President of Community Engagement. “Goodwill is proud to be one of the largest recyclers in North Texas, and showcasing secondary uses for everyday household goods and clothing is just one way of emphasizing the importance of reusing and upcycling in promoting sustainability.”
Project Goodwill 2022 was hosted by Anthony Elle, winner of Project Runway All Stars, Season 6 and guest commentator for HBO Max’s Craftopia. The fashion competition was judged by industry professionals including two-time winner of Project Goodwill and Technical Designer for Nordstrom, Lizzie Jones; Director of Customer Care for Kendra Scott, Lyndsay Baylor; Professor of Theatre Arts at Texas Wesleyan University, Joe Allen Brown; Plus-Size Reseller and Body-Positive Activist, Dearrine Morrow (@thedivaofcurvestx); and Design Consultant, Kanani Mahelona.
Project Goodwill benefits the mission of the nonprofit – to empower people with disabilities, disadvantages and other barriers to employment so they may achieve maximum independence. All proceeds go to the Moncrief-Ryan Scholarship Fund supporting initiatives focused on providing jobs and job training for the homeless, at-risk youth, veterans, the formerly incarcerated and the people with disabilities.
About Goodwill North Central Texas
The largest employer of people with disabilities in the world, Goodwill believes that work has the power to transform lives by building self-confidence, independence, creativity, trust and friendships. Everyone deserves this chance.
Goodwill North Central Texas is based in Fort Worth and serves 18 counties in the region. The nonprofit’s 27 area retail locations provide revenue through the sale of donated goods to support Goodwill’s mission to CREATE lives of independence and BUILD a stronger local community. Job training and career services programs for people with disabilities, such as physical or mental disabilities and other barriers to employment including lack of education or work experience and homelessness are guided by the organization’s vision of a North Central Texas where everyone person has the opportunity for maximum independence and abundant living. For more information, please visit www.GoodwillNorthCentralTexas.org.
