After visiting the Richard Petty Museum, the UNCG students returned to the classroom to work on their designs
RANDOLPH COUNTY — Here’s a fashion show fit for a king. Or, in this case, “The King.”
The Petty Family Foundation, the nonprofit arm of NASCAR legend Richard “The King” Petty’s Petty Enterprises, has partnered with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to host the Petty “Hot Pass To Fashion” Challenge and Red Carpet Event, a first-of-its-kind fashion show featuring designs inspired by Petty and his iconic No. 43 racecar. Petty, now 77 and still living in his native Randolph County, will even be one of the runway models for the event.
The event will be held Jan. 17, beginning at 7 p.m., at Petty Enterprises. Tickets are $43 apiece — with a limited number of VIP tickets available for $143 — and part of the proceeds will go to support the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman. Proceeds will also help provide scholarships for rising seniors in the CARS (Consumer, Apparel and Retail Studies) program at UNCG.
“The Petty ‘Hot Pass To Fashion’ Challenge will connect graduating seniors (from UNCG) with representatives from the fashion industry, which may in turn help launch their careers in an ever-changing job market,” says Jill Mongelli, director of nonprofit events for the Petty Family Foundation. “This is an event that will truly have an impact in the lives of each young designer.”
Student designers in UNCG’s nationally acclaimed CARS program were challenged to visit the Richard Petty Museum to learn more about the famous driver and his legacy, then go back and design fashions inspired by their visit.
“A lot of the students did not know anything about ‘The King’ or about NASCAR, so it was a challenge for them to learn and understand about him and his history,” Mongelli says.
The results are impressive, according to Mongelli.
“They’re very fashion-forward,” she says. “These kids have really thought outside the box. We wanted to challenge them, and I’m very impressed with what they’ve done. They got to know Richard’s history. They got to see the design of the cars, the edges, the colors, you name it, and they really took some of it to heart. Their inspiration came from many different aspects.”
The results produced by the 12 student designers will be showcased at the Jan. 17 event at Petty Enterprises, where the fashions will be worn by more than 50 local models. You can also see the results — and vote for your favorites — on the Petty Family Foundation website at www.pettyfamilyfoundation.org, which includes a short biographical sketch of each designer.
The online votes will be incorporated with the votes of a panel of celebrity judges at the fashion show to determine winners. Judges will include country singers Chris Lane and Julie Roberts; Brie Wright, editor-in-chief of Carolina STYLE magazine; Anthony Simmons of Haute Exclusive Fashion Mall’s Charlotte International Fashion Week; Marilyn Green of Marilyn’s Model and Talent Management; and WXII-TV news anchor Cameron Kent.
The winning contestants will have their designs featured in Carolina STYLE. Prizes will also include career-launching internships in the textile and fashion industry, and the opportunity to show their designs during this year’s Charlotte International Fashion Week.
“We’re hoping this will become an annual event,” Mongelli says. “It’s going to be a really fun evening of fashions, and it’s for a great cause.”
Interested?
The Petty “Hot Pass To Fashion” Challenge and Red Carpet Event, sponsored by the Petty Family Foundation, will be held Jan. 17, beginning at 7 p.m., at Petty Enterprises, 311 Branson Mill Road, in the Randolph County community of Level Cross.
This first-of-its-kind fashion show will feature designs inspired by NASCAR legend Richard Petty, who will also hit the runway himself during the event.
Tickets are $43 general admission, and $143 for a limited number of VIP tickets, which include first-row seating, a reception and swag bag. To purchase tickets, call the Petty Family Foundation at 495-6643 or visit www.pettyfamilyfoundation.org.
Proceeds from the event will provide scholarships for rising seniors in the CARS (Consumer, Apparel and Retail Studies) program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. A portion of the proceeds will also go to support the Victory Junction Gang Camp, which provides a unique recreational experience for severely disabled children.
To see the designs entered in the competition — and to vote for your favorite — visit www.pettyfamilyfoundation.org and find the link under “Current News & Events.”
Reposted from the High Point Enterprise
Written by Jimmy Tomlin
jtomlin@hpe.com | 888-3579