Goodwill’s Gala Returns, With Jenna Lyons as Host, Tommy Hilfiger, Willy Chavarria and More
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Goodwill’s Evening of Treasures gala returned in full force Wednesday night at Tapestry’s Hudson Yards headquarters.
The annual charity gala, now in its third run, featured upcycled fashions from the likes of Tommy Hilfiger (who presented an adaptive design), Rinat Brodach, Willy Chavarria and Todd Snyder. Former J.Crew creative head Jenna Lyons hosted the evening.
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Along with ticket sales, Goodwill auctioned four one-off upcycled designs from the designers. The auction will benefit Goodwill employment services as part of its annual event. Bank of New York Mellon and Amazon were among the sponsoring companies. This year, the gala has the goal to raise $315,000, up from $215,000 in 2022.
Last year, Fern Mallis was host and designers Greg Lauren, Tracy Reese and Yeohlee Teng contributed upcycled designs. This year, Mallis and Teng, along with Dapper Dan and CFDA president CaSandra Diggs, were among the attendees.
Amid cocktails and a thrifted red carpet, the main draw was the designer showcase, which spotlighted Goodwill’s bounty of clothing finds as well as its perhaps lesser-known equitable employment aims.
“I’m vintage now, Jenna,” Snyder said onstage with a carefree laugh as he showed off his upcycled look. “This is the perfect blend of what I love whether it’s sartorial, military…It’s classic American style with a twist.”
Chavarria’s inspiration was true to his runway style with the designer using luxe found fabrics to create a voluminous trouser and blouse. “I grew up on Goodwill. I love Goodwill. That’s also where I get so much of my inspiration,” he added.
Hilfiger’s muse, meanwhile, was Sydney Mesher, who is the first visibly disabled Rockette. Her adaptive outfit features Velcro and magnetic buttons along the length of the classic Hilfiger pairing of jacket and jeans. She said the outfit is a breeze to get in and out of, especially important for life on and off stage.
“I like to play with the textures,” Brodach said about her knit design. “My new adventure in life is recycling knitwear. You can do so much with recycling garments.”
The designers had free reign on budget and time, with design teams spending many hours combing Goodwill’s Hackensack, New Jersey, warehouse and retail stores, according to the event organizers.
Lyons, who is chief executive officer of false lashes brand LoveSeen, recapped her highlights from the night in a post-event interview with WWD.
“Vintage fashion has always been a passion of mine,” she said. “Being asked to host this event was an easy ‘yes.’ I’ve always loved the sustainability work of Goodwill but had no idea about everything else the organization does. Goodwill removes barriers to employment for people with disabilities, mental health diagnoses and others who are unemployed. I got to meet some of the individuals Goodwill has served, and that was a really special part of the evening,” she said.
As for the upcycled looks, Lyons was pleased. “If I saw these pieces on a runway, I’d have no idea,” she added.
Each year, the gala supports Goodwill’s broader charitable work. “We care about sustainable fashion. I wear thrift every day,” Katy Gaul-Stigge, president and chief executive officer, Goodwill Industries of Greater New York, told WWD ahead of the gala. “We are so excited to have these amazing designers shop just like we do, from the racks and turn clothes with so much energy and vitality into something unimaginable.”
Gaul-Stigge reiterated the importance of “bulldozing barriers” to employment at Goodwill for people with disabilities. Globally, nearly 10,000 people have received job training and placement, on-the-job coaching and employment and retention services, through Goodwill.
Goodwill, at large, looks to become resale’s next $1 billion resale site. The 23 stores in Goodwill NYNJ’s wheelhouse are in a strong cadence, adding new items every hour, with stock churning every three weeks or less or 40 million pounds coming in annually, Gaul-Stigge said. The stores reportedly saved 57 metric tonnes of CO2 deferred from new purchases. The latest store opening in the network was in Middletown, New York, last year, though some stores closed during COVID-19.
As Gaul-Stigge said, the New York chains have not raised prices since pre-pandemic. “We’ve kept the prices the same here. We’re not moving with inflation,” she added. “What we do need help with is people donating goods.”
And the Met Gala timing, which started the week off on Monday, was deliberate, according to the gala organizers.
“We love that the Met Gala has become a de facto red carpet of note,” said the thrift chain’s vice chair Douglas Hand, of Hand Baldachin & Associates LLP, in an interview ahead of the gala. “It creates what we feel is a pretty glamorous environment to [educate] on Goodwilll.”
Launch Gallery: Inside the Goodwill Evening of Treasures Gala
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