This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, July 20, 2011 - Part runway show, part auction and part charity event, it's the Paperdolls boutique's third annual fall fashion show and benefit for the Children's Tumor Foundation on Friday, July 29 at Kirkwood Station Plaza, at Kirkwood Road and Argonne Drive.
The event kicks off with a happy hour at 6 p.m., followed by the fashion show at 7 p.m. and silent auction at 8 p.m. Among the items to be auctioned off is an African safari. Last year, the event raised $7,000.
"We were doing the effort for the fashion show and it got a lot of community involvement and we were getting a lot of response from it. We thought we would put that to good use by raising (money) for a charity that is worthwhile," Paperdolls co-owner Carolyn Burghoff said.
Burghoff said that she and co-owner Beth Morris chose the Children's Tumor Foundation because of a personal connection with neurofibromatosis, or NF, a disease that causes tumors to grow on nerves and can affect the development of non-nervous tissue, according to the CTF website.
Three little girls with NF will be walking in the fashion show: Nicole Riley, 5; Delilah Hall, 3; and Allie Hennessey, 4. Along with the other models, they will be chauffered to the event by the Porsche Club of America.
Also modeling is Lilly Hennessey, 5, Allie's sister who does not have NF. The young girls are modeling clothes from Finders Keepers.
The other models are volunteers, mostly customers spotted in the store and women who have walked in the show before. Lisa Fanetti, Paperdolls sales associate and event coordinator, said they are using models who are a variety of sizes and ages to show that anybody can shop at Paperdolls.
"We don't use all the same age because we're trying to send the message that we don't have a certain target market. Anybody can shop here -- women who are 18 to 40," Fannetti said. "It's not all stick thin because that's not what we're trying to represent when we have our show. We want to show everybody, like 'if she can wear that, I can wear that,'"
Burghoff said that their customers appreciate the variety of models.
"We've gotten good feedback from that, too. A lot of people have come in and said they really appreciate that they see the clothes on real people," she said.
The models will show off clothes from vendors like !iT Denim, Miilla, Mystree, Judith March, Tracy Negoshian and Big Buddha handbags. Most of the looks from the show will be available in the boutique the next day.
"I noticed last year after the show we had a lot of people come in and say 'I'm looking for...' and describe something they saw at the show," said Fannetti.
The event showcases fall trends, and Burghoff said to expect faux-fur detailing, color-blocking and maxi skirts, probably styled with boots.
Clothes at Paperdolls start at about $30 and top out at around $200, but most of the merchandise is priced at less than $100, Burghoff said.
Burghoff gave the store its name and says it describe its style well. "The thing I liked best about it was that it's kind of fun, easy to change your look, it just kind of fits," she said.
"I would say trendy, fashion-forward," Fannelli said of the style. Burghoff added that they also like to keep it wearable and affordable.
Following the fashion show, attendees can bid on items donated from area restaurants, clothing and jewelry lines, boutiques and other donors.
Abby Spudich, a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia, is a summer intern at the Beacon.
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