By Kyley Schultz and Madison Rowbotham
This weekend, we took a step back in time to the 1920s. We had a roaring good time and were honored to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.
The Roaring 20s Hollywood Benefit and Gala was a posh event benefitting Waste Not Want Not Inc. Waste Not Want Not Inc. is an organization “advocating fighting hunger by preventing the discarding of food that could be used for low income families or the homeless in need.” Founder Nik Fields said the organization’s goal was to establish a food kitchen locally, where individuals who are less fortunate could go and get three meals per day.
When we walked in, we were whisked away for a picture on the green carpet, feeling as fabulous as ever. After our very important photo opp, we headed inside to find jazzy jams, hor d’oeuvres for days, and a fabulous vintage photo booth with the most adorable props.
With string lights delicately strung above a giant floor covered in black and white confetti, it was hard not to feel thrown back in time to the glamorous 20s, where even the party had to be as well dressed as the guests. A huge DJ set in the corner of the room gave a twist to the saxophone player next to him, playing remixes of both Kanye West and Biggie Smalls.
As we waltzed by the floor, white arches gave way to a room decked out in greenery and tables offering bruschetta. As if that wasn’t enough, the open bar next door gave a fun twist to the posh event, with vanilla bean cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies lined up on the table in front of it. Even the food was top notch and to die for!
We quickly realized photo opps were not going to be limited to just the green carpet. A dimly lit auditorium gave way to an entire selfie station, complete with fun props and feather boas. We scribbled down our email address and threw on a feather boa, and had our pictures snapped with an ornate armchair and professional lighting.
Oh, and did we mention that this was a star-studded event? Shar Jackson, from hit TV show Moesha and Cherie Johnson, from Punky Brewster and Family Matters, were in attendance. WNWN is a very important cause to both of these inspirational women.
Johnson used to own a restaurant in Houston and instead of throwing perfectly good food away, she would give the leftovers to the children around the area. However, this kind, selfless act got her in trouble with the city. So, instead she would put the food in containers next to the dumpsters like she was “waiting to throw it away” so the kids could grab it and she would not be sued. “We live in a disgusting money-hungry world that would rather see famished children die then feed them.” she said.
Shar Jackson spoke about how it doesn’t take much to start making positive changes. “It just takes one tiny step, one little action, to start a chain reaction” said Jackson. One idea she gave was volunteering your time if money was an issue or even a simple “pay it forward” chain. I’m not sure if you all know what a pay it forward chain is, maybe some of you have been caught in one, but it is basically where you pay for your meal, drink, etc., as well as the person behind you in line. This inspires the person behind you to pay for the person behind them and so on- a.k.a a chain reaction.
The event also had a heavy fashion aspect, which as fashion bloggers ourselves, we loved! Brandon Hunt, who won the Phoenix Fashion Week Spring Into Style show last year put together a high-end fashion show.
There was also a quick interlude to show how you don’t have to break the budget to get high end looks, especially if you are trying to be more conscientious of local brands and helping organizations such as Waste Not Want Not. Six models ran through fashionable finds at local thrift stores, including an amazing original Louis Vuitton bag that was scored for a whopping ten dollars- Miracles really do come true!
As each guest was introduced, there was also brief moments where we were supposed to “turn to our neighbor” and tell them something positive or to make them think, such as “Neighbor, this is not about you!” Getting to engage with total strangers made the mood more light-hearted and fun, and helped set the tone for the importance of joining together as one community rather than against.
It was truly eye-opening to see the flip side of how fashion can work wonders in the environment. It’s really easy as an industry to get caught up in Instagram likes, lip kits and fabulous photoshoots, so to hear testimonies of struggles like Jackson’s were refreshing. We really felt honored to be at the event and hear stories of how fashion has helped to raise awareness for kids in need- especially after being surrounded by glamorous dresses and glitzy decor. Really taking a chance to see where your platform can go to inspire others, whether it be your Instagram fame or a popular blog, is something we think fashion should do more of.
xoxo,
Kyley and Madi
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