Sweet P
Sweet P

SAN FRANCISCO, Apr 8, 2009 / FW/ — It’s not about being green; it’s not even about the environment per se; it’s about second chances and renewing lives.

Discarded to Divine is the annual fundraising by the St Vincent de Paul Society’s Help Desk, a charitable organization that provides free clothing, food, supplies and small household items to over 12,000 people a year and runs the largest homeless shelter in Northern California.

The name of the fundraising ‘Discarded to Divine’ is literal – discarded clothing donated to the St Vincent de Paul Society’s Help Desk gets transformed into couture clothing, decorative accessories and exquisite home décor by designers.

And, during the gala night, these items are auctioned of, with proceeds going directly to St Vincent de Paul Society’s Help Desk.

Now on its 4th year, this year’s event is slated on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at Live! @ 888 Brannan (formerly the Giftcenter Pavillion).

This highly anticipated event brings fashion and compassion together by uniting Bay Area fashion students and professional designers with the important mission of the St Vincent de Paul Society.

Incredible design transformations include an evening dress created out of 10 pairs of Dockers by Cari Borja; an inspired cocktail dress made from a vintage Chinese robe by Sweet P from Project Runway; a woman’s leather jacket made from a briefcase by students at The Academy of Art.

Coral Castillo
Coral Castillo

A Fiji eco-gown created with Fiji Water packaging materials and recycled Fiji Water bottles by Elaine O’Malley and Lisa Fullerton. This fun and flirty design boasts a bustier that is hand embroidered with tiny sequins made from Fiji Water bottles, and a base fabric of hand dyed natural silk/hemp charmeuse with a light sheen.

In addition to fashion garments, Discarded to Divine will also feature interior design items available for auction such as an innovative floor lamp with a shade made out of 3 pairs of pants, which have been silk screened on by designer Zhang Chi Wang.

This year’s list of talented guest designers also includes Barbara Beccio, Michael Boris, Miranda Caroligne, Eimaj Design, The Flo Room, Kailia Footwear, Lynne Gallagher of Wee Scotty, Louisa Parris, and Vagadu. The designers were all inspired by items in the de Young Museum’s permanent collection. Jennifer Siebel Newsom is this year’s Honorary Chair.

Barbara Beccio
Barbara Beccio

A special preview of all items will be held on Friday, April 17, 2009 from 5:30pm – 9:00pm at the de Young Museum. This special Friday night event is free to attend and will feature music, cocktails, and the chance to get a sneak peek at the nearly 70 garments, 20 home décor items, and 14 accessories that will be auctioned off at the Discarded to Divine fundraiser event on Thursday, May 7, 2009.

Event Information
Discarded to Divine Preview:
de Young Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118
Friday, April 17, 2009 | 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM
No Charge

Discarded to Divine Main Event:
Live! @ 888 Brannan (formerly the Giftcenter Pavillion)
888 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Thursday, May 7, 2009 | 6:30 PM (6 PM for VIP ticket holders)
VIP admission $125 (includes early admittance, VIP room hosted by Knights Catering, and special gift bags)
General admission $65

For more information about Discarded to Divine,
visit http://www.discardedtodivine.org

Or contact Michelle Forshner at 415.977.1270 x 3018
mforshner@svdp-sf.org

Photos: Sweet P dress by Ben Hoffman; Barbara Beccio dress by Harry A. Haryanto

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