-Jill Gorman
Curator

from the director...

Since a picture is worth 10,000 words, I will be saying less in my column this Fall so that we may share with you in pictorial form how we have spent our last several months. Our two events, held the third weekend in September, were a benefit for TeenHope - the only licensed shelter for homeless teens in the Seattle area. We presented vintage fashion shows in Seattle at a black tie dinner and in Bellevue, the following day, at High Tea. Madeleine de Baine, our lovely fashion doll from 1868, was the hostess and she was there "in person" to meet and greet the attendees. Also present was the co-founder of TeenHope, Tom Choquette, acting as the Master of Ceremonies.    
    Robert Tonner graciously created a very special limited edition doll for the benefit of TeenHope, Tyler Wentworth as "Hope". She is fabulous in her dress of the 1914 era. And Robert and Tonner Marketing Director, Tom Courtney, were also in attendance - Tom doing the commentary for the fashion shows. We wish to thank them and all of the nearly hundred volunteers who made these events possible. The models, only one of which was professional, were amazing, from the tiniest 3 month old Alec to Maree Tarnowska, who traveled from the Bahamas to do the shows, and every man, woman, and child in between - 37 in all.
    The fashions from the 1830s through the 1960s were paired with dolls from the time periods, often dressed in nearly identical outfits. Seven charming doll handlers presented the dolls on stage with the models.
    Dressers, hair stylists, make-up artists, decorators, sellers, and security personnel - all came together in a total team effort to help others less fortunate than themselves. TeenHope joins me in thanking them and the many who attended our events or donated to keep the doors open and give these kids a warm bed to sleep in and a caring ear to listen.
    For those of you who were unable to attend or would like to see these fashions repeated, we will be exhibiting a portion of them (plus many added pieces) and the dolls paired with them in our winter changing gallery. "Holiday Finery: Families and Dolls Dressed to Party" will open on November 16. Please read more about this in Jill’s column.
    I would like to take this opportunity to thank my staff, especially Curator Jill Gorman and Co-director Shelley Helzer, the rest of my family, and our docents for the many long hours of work over the last two years that made these fund raisers possible. I would also like to thank staff member Lacee Badgley for assisting with the sales of the Tonner doll "Hope".
    Enjoy the fashions and the models!