This document announces the 6th Annual Fashion First event in Seattle which is a large independent fashion show that raises funds for the Starlight Children's Foundation of Washington. Over 1,000 fashion enthusiasts are expected to attend the event on September 17th to see local designers and retailers showcase their fall collections. In previous years the event has raised over $100,000 for charity. The fashion show aims to celebrate Seattle's unique style and support good causes.

1. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
th
6 Annual Contact: Joan Kelly
(206) 979-2771
theshoelady@comcast.net
Celebrities Strut Their Stuff in 6th Annual Fashion First
Seattle’s largest independent fashion show celebrates Seattle’s signature style,
raises funds for Starlight Children’s Foundation of Washington
SEATTLE (June 1, 2009) -- More than 1,000 of the Seattle area’s most devoted fashion-
istas are expected to attend the 6th Annual Fashion First, Seattle’s largest independent fashion
show, Sep. 17, 2009 at Qwest Field Event Center, benefitting the Starlight Children’s Founda-
tion of Washington.
The runway show offers Seattle a taste of the more-established fashion weeks held in a
variety of international fashion-industry capitals and unites the fashion community to celebrate
signature Seattle style and support charitable causes. Local fashion retailers, designers, stylists,
fashion educators and students, and members of the press attend the annual event for a preview
of designer and specialty-store trends in the upcoming fall season. Last year's standing-room-
only show raised $40,000 for Starlight, and the annual event has raised $100,000 for charity in
the past six years.
“Fashion First is always the most exciting night of fashion in the Northwest because it
puts Seattle’s unique fashion perspective on the world map,” said Executive Producer Joan
Kelly, an instructor at the Art Institute of Seattle who founded the annual show. “We give the
area’s smaller boutiques and designers an opportunity to show off their creativity with styles and
lines that aren’t normally presented by, or included in, the traditional fashion media.”
What sets Fashion First apart, Kelly said, is that “these aren’t bizarre, impractical designs
from the East Coast or Paris that only anorexics can wear. Fashion First showcases ready-to-
wear, designer creations that are as accessible as they are stylish.
“It’s also an opportunity to throw a glamorous party while raising funds for a worthy
charity, such as Starlight,” Kelly said. “You might think people would just leave after the
runway show, but we always have a great crowd that sticks around for a really fabulous time.”
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2. 6th Annual Fashion First
June 1, 2009
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Local designers and retailers invited to participate in this year’s show include La Ree,
Oslo, Clutch, Merge, Mercer, Tatters, Ragamoffyn’s and The Finerie. The show also will feature
custom designs by the winners of Seattle Magazine’s “Seamless in Seattle” Design Contest—
Seattle’s own version of “Project Runway”—and by the graduating fashion students of the Art
Institute of Seattle.
This year’s celebrity models include…
Fashion First is dedicated to the honor and memory of its co-founder Jared Seegmiller, a
Seattle designer who was passionate about the industry and cared deeply for the visibility and
vitality of the boutiques that support the Seattle fashion scene.
Fashion First tickets, which start at $50 and range up to $1,000, are available at
www.fashionfirstseattle.com or by calling (206) 979-2771. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show
gets underway at 8:15 p.m.
About Starlight Children’s Foundation
When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is
affected. Starlight Children’s Foundation is a 25-year-old, non-profit organization dedicated to
helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through
entertainment, education and family activities. Unlike any other charity, Starlight offers a
comprehensive menu of outpatient, hospital-based and online offerings that enables it to provide
ongoing support for children and families—from diagnosis through the entire course of medical
treatment. Starlight’s programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them
better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so
that no one feels alone.
Starlight serves children and teens suffering from chronic, life-threatening illnesses such
as cancer, cystic fibrosis, kidney and heart disease, diabetes, asthma and sickle-cell disease. The
nonprofit organization operates a network of chapters and offices in every U.S. state and
Canadian province, and also delivers programs internationally through affiliates in Australia,
Japan and the United Kingdom.
Starlight’s Washington State chapter (www.starlight-washington.org) served more
than 20,000 children and family members at 526 inpatient and community events statewide in its
fiscal year 2008. The chapter has been awarded a Four-Star rating by Charity Navigator, the
nation’s premier independent charity evaluator.
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