Clothes Make the Woman

Dress for Success Tulsa will host its annual Fashion Show and Auction September 14, 2012 at Greenwood Cultural Center.

By: Tara Waugh | Category: Retail | Issue: September 2012

The women behind the success: Ronda Adkisson, executive director, and Pat Simmons, board president.

Who wouldn’t want an evening filled with fashion, food and fun which also supports an amazing organization that assists disadvantaged women in the Tulsa area? Dress for Success Tulsa is holding its annual “Step Up to Success” Fashion Show and Auction on Friday, September 14, 2012 at Greenwood Cultural Center, 322 N. Greenwood.

The enchanting evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with a social hour where food and drinks can be enjoyed, and auction items can be gazed and bid upon. At 7:30 p.m., guests will be formally welcomed and will hear from a testimonial speaker attesting to the support and transformation that Dress for Success Tulsa gives to its clients. Next, the emcee of the evening, Fox 23 News Anchor Chera Kimiko, will begin the fashion show where models sport the latest fashions, accessories and cosmetics from Dillard’s in Woodland Hills Mall and have their hair styled from Ihloff Salon. The models are executive men and women from Tulsa-area businesses and include Katherine Anderson, Cancer Treatment Centers of America; Cheryl Chinowth, Chinowth & Cohen Realtors; Jim Boucher, TBT Consulting, LLC; Greg Johnson, Samson; Sean Kouplen, Regent Bank; David Pennington, Magellan Midstream Partners; Cassie Reese, Crossland Construction Company; and Ingrid Sadler, State Farm Insurance.

After the first round of fashion will be a live auction hosted by Greg Simmons from Simmons Homes. Live and silent auction items include a variety of items such as trips to favorite destinations and packages representing Tulsa-area spas, golf courses, sports and entertainment, hotels and restaurants, and much, much more. Following the live auction, the fashion show continues, focusing on cocktail and evening attire, which ends the night on an elegant note. Throughout the night, guests can enjoy a plethora of cocktails and delicious dishes provided by Chef Mark Michalski and Tulsa-area restaurants.

To support this extraordinary organization and contribute to one of its most important fundraisers of the year, patrons can get tax-deductible table sponsorships available at $1,200 for premier seating and $1,000 levels. Individual tickets are $75 per person.

Dress for Success Tulsa is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional business attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help them thrive in work and in life, free of charge. When a client is referred, usually by an array of nonprofit organizations, government agencies, shelters, colleges and technical institutes, she receives one suit for her first job interview and is eligible for additional clothing when she secures employment to help her build a professional wardrobe. When asked what Dress for Success Tulsa does for women, Pat Simmons, president of the board, emphatically said, “A professional outfit can literally transform a person, inside and out. Most women enter these doors without much confidence, but once they spend some time with our personal shoppers and find the perfect suit, handbag, shoes and accessories, a transformation takes place. It is an emotional experience. We get a lot of smiles and hugs.”

What is also unique about the organization is that not only does it support women by giving them professional clothing, but it also empowers their clients by providing career services. They offer pre- and post- employment courses to support their clients. Serving thousands of women in the Tulsa and surrounding communities, Dress for Success Tulsa is an empowering organization that still needs your support to continue to help clients. Not only can you attend the annual Fashion Show and Auction on September 14, but you can donate new and gently-used clothing to either their store at 1109 S. Peoria or Dressbarn located at Tulsa Hills, which accepts donations on their behalf Monday through Friday from

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Executive Director Ronda Adkisson also mentions, “We are always in need of plus-size professional clothing and shoe sizes 9 and larger. These tend to continually be some of our greatest needs.”

If you are interested in donating auction items, food or florals for the event, or want additional information regarding Dress for Success Tulsa, please contact Ronda Adkisson at (918) 599-8892 or email her at eat1@eau1eav1eaw1.