A Safe Place shows that 'Brave is Beautiful' April 14
When the models of the "Brave is Beautiful" fashion show walk the runway at Wine Women & Shoes on April 14, they will not only be wearing creations from the spring collection of Lake Forest fashion designer Ave Sanjuan, they will be helping to raise funds to support domestic violence victims and their children.
Wine Women & Shoes takes place at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, at the Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling. The event is a fun, interactive evening of luxury fashion and fine wines to benefit the lifesaving programs and services at A Safe Place for families suffering from domestic violence.
The finale of the evening is the glamorous fashion show presented by talented local designer Ave Sanjuan, who will showcase the little black dress as a simple, elegant, and classic piece that belongs in everyone's Spring closet. Working with fabrics from the United Kingdom and Paris, Sanjuan has created a lineup of aerodynamic styles that fit the body like a glove perfect for day or night. The models are provided by To the Stars Fashion School, and they will be wearing jewelry by Ladysmith Jewelry and shoes by Forest Bootery.
Sanjuan is no stranger to charity fashion events. Her first full collection was presented in 2010 at Lake Forest Sportscars to help raise money for the Gorton Community Center in Lake Forest, for which she won a Diamonds Designer Award. Since then, she has participated in shows for Susan G. Komen, Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation, and the American Cancer Society.
"It is a true gift to help A Safe Place, an organization that helps domestic violence victims feel safe again," Sanjuan said. "Home is where the heart is and where you should feel at ease. No one should ever have to suffer and feel unsafe. I am honored to be able to help."
She was studying Art Therapy at Lake Forest College when her professor suggested she pursue a degree in fashion design after seeing that her class project was two sculptures, a gown made all of safety pins and another gown made of window mesh and fishing line. She ended up with a degree in fine art fashion design from the Art Institute of Chicago.
"Designing clothes is a very innate part of me," she said. "Being creative is a state of being and I am completely in touch with the cloth. It all begins with a sketch and then becomes something you can actually wrap around you."
Along with the glamorous fashion show, Wine Women & Shoes will include unlimited wine tastings and wine pull, a marketplace with vendors selling accessories, a "Key to the Closet" raffle where the winner takes all, live and silent auctions, Best in Shoe Awards, music and entertainment, and the charismatic Shoe Guys.
Tickets are available at www.winewomenandshoes.com/asafeplace for $125, which includes a trendy swag bag filled with a variety of goodies. VIP admission is $175 and includes express VIP check in, prime seating for the fashion show, and a VIP Swag Bag filled with exclusive items.
A Safe Place recognizes and thanks the sponsors who have made this event possible: Ave Sanjuan Designs, Mercedes-Benz Autohaus, Volkswagen Credit, Rustoleum, Cycle Logistics, North Shore Gas, TRW, RF Technologies, and the Steve and Barb Anderson Family Foundation.
A Safe Place is Lake County's sole provider of services exclusively focusing on domestic violence victims and their children. Last year, A Safe Place served over 14,000 community members.
For more information on Wine Women & Shoes and to learn about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.winewomenandshoes.com/asafeplace. For more information on A Safe Place, visit www.asafeplaceforhelp.org. For more information on Ave Sanjuan Designs, visit www.avesanjuan.com.