Unleash your unique style

Napier Family Centre marketing and communication advisor Suzanne Stewart and charity retail manager Carolyn Pugh with some of their donated clothes.

EVER WANTED to have a go at unleashing your unique fashion style?

Here's your chance, and not only will you get the chance to show off your sassy sense of style, you will also be helping the environment by saving clothes, shoes and accessories from the landfill.

You have just under a week to enter the Restyle for Runway competition, loosely based on Project Runway and organised by a team from the Napier Family Centre.

Leading the team are marketing and communication advisor Suzanne Stewart and charity retail manager Carolyn Pugh.

"All entrants have to do is buy one item from our Napier Family Centre Charity shop in Taradale to use as part of their outfit. Entry is free and thanks to Harcourts Taradale we have some fantastic prizes," Suzanne said. All proceeds go straight back into the community.

This year's fashion show to be held on Thursday, September 19 at Taradale Rugby Club, follows the hugely successful inaugural show last year.

"Last year's event was incredible. We had a pop-up shop on the night and pretty much everything sold out. Tickets to the event sold out in days so this year we are moving to a bigger venue at the Taradale Rugby Sports Club which seats 200.

"We are really excited to have Harlem-Cruz Ihaia as guest model."

Carolyn said they encouraged EIT students to have a go at the competition as they could potentially get credits from it.

Laurel Judd and Sarah Nelson will judge entries from photographs submitted by entrants - the same way WOW finalists are selected. Entrants will submit before and after photographs and the top three will model their outfits at the show where the winner will be announced.

Other models of all shapes, sizes and ages will be modelling outfits from the charity shop for Spring into Style on the evening which takes place on September 19 2019 at Taradale Rugby Club.

Doors open for drinks and nibbles at 6.30pm. Show starts at 7.00pm..

"Upcycling is huge these days with many people deciding not to buy anything new for a year," Carolyn said.

"We take great pride in ensuring that everything we sell in our charity shop is in great condition. We also have some fantastic contributors and count ourselves lucky to receive such high quality clothing, shoes and accessories.

"We don't sell anything that's ripped and if something is marked or dirty we wash it."
The evening will be packed full of fun with two Trelise Cooper dresses and six Augustine kimonos up for auction. There will also be two $500 Augustine vouchers raffled.
EIT's Elite Salon will be doing the models' hair while styling for the show will be done by Sarah Zonneveld and Laura Jeffares - the theme is wild and whacky.

Laurel Judd will be showcasing her WOW entries, some of which have never been shown in Hawke's Bay.

The shop at 301 Gloucester St, Taradale, sells clothes. shoes, books. toys, bric-a-brac, ornaments, jewellery, small furniture and accessories.

All the money raised from the shop and the fashion event goes straight to the Napier Family Centre for the community and is used for courses for children to deal with anxiety and bullying and parenting courses.

*Tickets $25 for general entry or $35 for VIP which includes a goodie bag and priority seating. Doors open for drinks and nibbles at 6.30pm. Show starts at 7pm.
*Tickets are available from the Napier Family Centre Charity shop, 301 Gloucester St, Taradale, and Napier Family Centre, 112 cnr Morris Spence Ave and Wycliffe St, Onekawa, Napier.
*Napier Family Centre Charity shop is grateful for all donations.