ReFashion Show at SHE Columbia!

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When an organizer for SHE Columbia (a HUGE Women’s Expo) called me a couple of weeks ago to ask if I had any ideas of how ReFashionista could be involved, I was stoked! I immediately offered to do a ReFashion Show, featuring all-new refashions for several different women with different body types! I was told that they couldn’t do anything to help organize it, but sure…go right on ahead!

And that’s how I got stuck with putting a fashion show together in one week (eep!).

I asked 10 of my favorite lady friends if they’d like to do this. My sell was “Hey…do this show, and you’ll get a custom refashion that you get to keep!” I was completely shocked that they all agreed…and with enthusiasm! 🙂 I set up fittings and got to work on my refashions.

I was nervous. I have precious little experience refashioning anything for anyone but myself. What if everything I made looked weird? :/

Then there was the matter of how to show the “before” shots during the show. I decided to rig a monitor on each side of the stage that would display the “before” shot as each model walked out in her “after”.

A week was spent dyeing, snipping, undoing, re-doing, and stitching! Somehow I managed to get it all done.

On the day of the big show, I was terrified. I hadn’t had time to set up any additional fittings with most of the models, so I had NO IDEA if everything was going to fit. And what if no one even showed up?

As Meghan and I passed around a bottle of Grand Marnier (nerve-loosening juice) backstage, Larry came in and told us that there were only a few people in the audience– probably boyfriends and family, so there was no need to be nervous. My heart plummeted. Really? I had worked so hard! I promoted the show all week, even went on the news to talk about it! 🙁

I rushed to the curtained area backstage and peered into the audience…the completely packed audience (very funny, Larry!)! There weren’t enough seats for everyone, so lots of people were standing in the back too! I was completely overwhelmed!

It was time to start the show! I gave a quick explanation of who I was, and my mission to change the way the world thinks about fashion.

Yep…funny faces aren’t just for “before” shots! 😀

Without further ado, here are the pics from the first EVER ReFashion Show! 😀

Paige Before

Paige After!

This lady rocks the runway!

Bye, Paige!

Alex Before

Alex After!

Such a cute tunic!

Jennifer Before

Jennifer After

Love that lace collar and tiny peplum! 🙂

Lovely!

Kaitlin Before

Kaitlin After

I think this is my fave frock from the show! 🙂

Bye, Kaitlin!

Recognize her? She’s The Wine Snob! 🙂

Ginny Before

Ginny After!

From Puritan to Pure Fun!

Meghan Before

Meghan After!

I love the fierce look on her face!

Red Hair + Green = Win!

Catherine Before

Catherine After!

Work it!

I DIG that open back!

Amy Before

Amy After!

I know such cool women! 🙂

So Statuesque! 🙂

Erin Before

Erin After!

C’mon! How ELSE are you every gonna wear your wedding dress again?!?!

Blyth Before

Blyth After

Blyth got a little nervous, so I helped her down the runway! 🙂

“Don’t worry, kiddo! You’re doing fine!” 🙂

Nonono! Thank YOU! 😉

These chicks rock! 🙂

I COULD NOT have done this show without these wonderful women:

Much Love! 🙂

Thanks SO MUCH to anyone and everyone who helped make the first ever ReFashion Show a huge hit! 🙂

Jazz Hands! 🙂

…until next time, Cheers! 🙂

Later Taters! 🙂

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43 Responses to ReFashion Show at SHE Columbia!

You really rocked it out. Great job and great friends!

I think Meghan’s is my favourite because it’s so simple yet spectacular! Although I also like Catherine’s and Erin’s… and those little girls are adorable… Great work!! Congrats on an amazing event.

Looks like soo much fun! I hate I couldn’t come down. My sisters were there!

What a great job! The clothes and models looked terrific and a litle dyeing does a lot of good!

What a challenge to do all of these refashions for other people in just a week, you rock!

Great job in so many ways- such a lot of work. Congratulations Jilly – you’re a star!

This is awesome!! Great job!! I just started following your blog, and I cant believe the amazing transformations you do! You are an inspiration!! Keep up the good work!!

You ROCK so hard!!!!!!! Congratulations!

Completely Blown away! Please please please take your show on the road and come to Cleveland! Great Job!

OMG, Jillian! That is just amazing. Look at all that you created in such a short time. And to think, here I was thinking you had forgotten to share your refashions with us. Little did I know I would have such a marvelous surprise in my inbox. I wish I could have been there for your big show. Maybe next time…when you’re doing it on a runway in NYC 😉

You are so inspirational! I have started sewing again and even wore a skirt that I “re-fashioned.” Thank you for all the awesome work you do to inspire people. Loved your show!

I love this post! Looks like so much fun! The wedding dress was my fav.

Still can’t figure out how you turned a pillow case into a little kid. Now, that’s amazing!

Great job, Jill! and in a week!♡♥♡♥♡

fantastic job on the makeovers!

That was awesome and amazing and terrific and wonderful and….. I think you get what I’m trying to say. WOW!

Wonderful job!!! I bet it was fun.

This is completely awesome! Congratulations on a job very well done!

Great Job!

AH-mazing! Super job on all of these ReFashions! You did great!

Well done, Jillian! I was hoping that you would do a post about your fashion show. I’m amazed at how well it turned out with only 1 WEEK OF PREPARATION. I liked nearly all of the refashions, and I really liked how you used models of all ages, shapes and sizes. Excellent work!

Brilliant, can’t believe you managed all that in a few days!

Awesome Job!!! I love the way you recreated these pieces for all the different models/friends. It is amazing.

These are awesome. I just started reading your blog about two months ago, and I now check clothes OUT of my size when I go thrift shopping. I haven’t found anything yet, but at least you’ve got me looking.

Impressive!!! The refashions were great AND all in one week. Amazing! Good job.

whoa lady. amazing! the teal and lace is definitely my favorite and while i can’t manage to wear them, i love bell sleeves on other people!

Amazing! You are so talented. I think the first dress is my favourite, but they are all so awesome it is hard to choose.

ZOMG best ever! Your first fashion show and such a success-I’m so proud of you! I wish I was there to cheer you on (I’d totally show up early and get the front seats). Meagan’s dress and the wedding dress refashions are my favourites (although I like the dress that’s your fav. as well-the colours really suit the model!) and big ups for all the different body types showcased. Truly awesome.

You are awesomely talented and such a hard worker – congratulations on your wonderful show! And thank you so much for sharing pictures of the whole thing. It’s the next best thing to being there.

So happy all went beautifully! Loved seeing all the photos… I so dream of doing a charity refashion show for the American Heart Society someday! I haven’t even begun refashioning but have gathered the tools, so maybe soon!

Ah-MAZE-balls! I love Meghan and Catherine, and the wedding dress just took the color in such a cool and unexpected way. Love love love everything you do all the time! 🙂

Fantastic!!! You ROCKED it!

That is amazing – you worked so hard and love that all the ladies and young ladies are all shapes and sizes and all so beautiful! Well done to you all 🙂

That’s amazing Jillian!!! I really like how the dye job changed Catherine’s frock. It looks so pretty. My favourite is definitely Jennifer’s though. It is so unique and so pretty! Like a cute little romper for a day on the beach!

Fantastic! Had I lived closer, I would have been there. Great work!

Wow, you did an amazing job! What a fun event, for you and your friends. Congrats on your success!

I had to give this post a shout-out on my blog, ma’am (http://www.laurensconcepts.com/2013/02/15/refashionista/). You are the reason why I lost the fear to buy a sewing machine recently and how I had the balls to take a cotton t-shirt and turn it into a re-sizable headband. Kudos. <3

Fabulous! I’ve had to look three times trying to see all that you did.

That was great and everyone looked so good. It’s mind boggling that you were able to pull this off in one week. GREAT JOB, I am super impressed! Sure wish I was closer, I would have loved to see it in person. Looking forward to the next amazeballs post!!

Awesome!! I have been waiting impatiently for this post, but I can see that it was a ton of work to put it together. What you did is sheer amazing, and even more so because you did it all in a week! You are my refashioning superhero! And I super love what what you did with Erin’s wedding dress!

Wonderful! This is an amazing idea for a fashion show. I love seeing the before and afters on women of all shapes and ages!

Jillian, what a tremendous accomplishment! Thank you so much for sharing your passion and talent with the blogosphere and your community! Reading your blog has inspired me to think of other ways to refashion in my life as I haven’t sewn in years. I can’t wait to explore the creative ideas I’m collecting and I bought a new sewing machine! Going to shop in my closet first and declutter as well as refashion.

Really enjoyed seeing your work on other people. Took me back to your handy hint that you never refashion for other people. I agree with that principle but this was an impressive departure! Well done! Brave and worth it!

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ReFashion Show at SHE Columbia! | ReFashionista