Rosie Scott Blog about Women

It's not quite rags to riches, but designers will attempt a leap from rags to recognition at this year's Runway Repurposed fashion show.

Designers of all ages will begin picking their rags Monday at the Howell Opera House. That also means potential audience members should get ready to reserve tickets to the Feb. 21 fashion show benefit, which draws an annual crowd of 500 or more.

"It's great how this has grown," said event organizer Mary Rettenmaier.

Now in its seventh year, Runway Repurposed moved last year to larger space, at Crystal Gardens banquet center in Genoa Township, and added a new category for avant garde fashion.

"We'd had designers asking about that for several years. So, we though we'd include it in the show," Rettenmaier said.

A fundraiser for the Livingston County Arts Council, which supports the Opera House, Runway Repurposed features categories for students as young as 8 as well as adults.

This year, prizes will be awarded for the first time to the top three finishers in each category: young beginner, student, beginner, adult beginner and advanced, as well as in the avant-garde category. Cash prizes of $500 for first place and $250 for second place will also be awarded in the advanced design category.

Central Michigan University is also joining this year show as the title sponsor.

The goal is to create eco-friendly fashion from donated, and discarded, items.

There will be a lot to choose from, at least for those who arrive early during the Monday-through-Wednesday signup sessions. Registration is $15 for students, $30 for adults. Cash, checks and credit cards are all accepted.

"We have a lot of really great items for this year's designers to use," Rettenmaier said. "But, of course, we're telling people to come Monday, if they can. The best items do go pretty quickly."

Sessions are 4-8 p.m. each day at the Opera House, 123 W. Grand River Ave. in downtown Howell.

Under a format similar to that of TV's "Project Runway," fashions are judged by a panel of hometown celebrities.

In addition to being eco-friendly, the competition is usually family-friendly. Designers often use family members and friends as models.

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