GUESS by Marciano Store Opening Event Footage

Check out this link to view our extraordinary former intern, Andee Jasper, talking to Sarah Blondin of TheStyleSpy.com about Dress for Success® Vancouver. This footage was taken on September 9th at the GUESS by Marciano store opening at Metrotown.

The Big Giveaway

On Saturday, September 26th Dress for Success® Vancouver held their second annual Big Giveaway event where career centre clients, PWG members and alumni, as well as agencies were able to shop our stock for a donation of $5. Each giveaway attendee had 50 minutes to fill up five bags with clothing, accessories, cosmetics and other amazing items. Many attendees were absolutely delighted with what they received, so our second Giveaway was a huge success.

Thank you to our highly motivated and organized volunteers for putting so many hours of work into this event. Our Giveaway was successful because of them. Thank you to Deloitte for volunteering their staff to help out during the Giveaway. They were fabulous and helped to ensure the event ran smoothly. By the end of the day everyone was exhausted and happy that we cleared the shop for the new, incredible crop of outfits and accessories that will be coming in over the next few days thanks to the Challengers involved in the Dress me for Success Corporate Challenge.

Vote for us today! Naturalizer Friends and Family Charity Campaign

Dress for Success is one of three finalists for the Naturalizer Friends and Family charity campaign. During this program, Naturalizer will donate $1 for every pair of shoes sold, up to $20,000 to the charitable organization that receives the most votes. To vote for Dress for Success go to www.naturalizer.ca today.

United Way Day of Caring & Big Giveaway Preparations

A lovely Great West Life volunteer choosing sweaters for the giveaway

Penny in the sea of suits

Another Great West Life employee hard at work

Olive hanging pants

Virginia helping to ensure everyone stays on task
Sandy building sheves

A fantastic Great West Life volunteer filling goody bags
Another fabulous Great West Life volunteer bagging items

Naomi, also volunteering from Great West life,
had fun sorting and styling herself in this lovely ensemble

On September 24th and 25th our shop and office was bustling in preparation for the Big Giveaway, being held on Saturday, September 26th. Thanks to the United Way for giving us not one, but two United Way Days of Caring where wonderful Great West Life and Quadrus Investment Services Ltd. employees volunteered their time to help us with this event. Our dedicated Dress for Success® Vancouver volunteers, a.k.a 'the regulars', have also been working hard cleaning, sorting, lifting, building, culling, dropping off items, and picking up supplies.

Thank you to Great West Life and Quadrus Investment Services Ltd. for sending your wonderfully hard working and enthusiastic employees to help with our giveaway preparation.

Oakridge Centre's Fall Fashion Affair

A straight haired Deb (thanks to blo blow dry bar) alongside
hosts Riaz (left) and Dawn (right) from Breakfast Television.

On September 22, 2009 Oakridge Centre celebrated the changing of the season with its annual Fall Fashion Affair. It was a fantastically fashionable night all in support of Dress for Success® Vancouver! In addition to prizes, a live auction with fabulous items, and of course delicious treats, Oakridge held a high-end runway show that got the crowd excited about the fall/winter 2009 fashion season. We'd like to thank Oakridge Centre for putting on such an incredible event, Breakfast Television hosts Riaz and Dawn for doing a wonderful job of hosting the show, and everyone who came out and had fun while supporting Dress for Success Vancouver.

For more information about this wonderful event visit the Oakridge Style blog here.

Educational Workshop with Loretta Cella

For the past 10 years Loretta Cella has had the great pleasure to work alongside many community agencies and organizations striving to provide innovative programs for both young people and their families. She has been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in both British Columbia and Ontario assisting in the development and deliverance of quality programs and intiatives.

On Wednesday September 23rd, Dress for Success staff members and volunteers had the opportunity to attend an educational session with Loretta Cella. We had the time to sit down and think about our passions, work life balance and goal setting. The session was motivational, inspirational and enjoyable. Thank you Loretta, for taking time out of your busy schedule to give us some of your life coaching wisdom and inspiring us to live with passion in order to become more successful in all aspects of our lives. If you would like to learn more about what Loretta has to offer please visit her website at www.lorettacella.com.

Corporate Challenge - Wrap Up Event

Wrap Up attendees will have the special privilege of hearing from Rosalyn Taylor O'Neale, the previous Dress for Success Worldwide Board Chair - a woman with a small frame, big hair, and an enormous heart. Currently, O'Neale is the Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Campbell Soup Company. Her previous titles have been Fearless Leader at Barnes and Noble, and Executive Vice President of Diversity Initiatives for MTV Networks. During her career, she has been a corporate executive, business leader, consultant and author. The Corporate Challenge team is so lucky to have her in town, so don't miss your chance to see a truly dynamic woman!

SILENT AUCTION

New at this year's Wrap Up event is the Showplace Marketplace, where guests will be able to browse booths from some of their favourite companies including Clarins and Stella & Dot. Included in this Showplace Marketplace will be a silent auction area. Some of these items will include stays at some of the most luxurious hotels within Canada and abroad. These include the Maya Ubud Resort & Spa, and the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa in Bali, the Fairmont Banff Springs Resort, the Westin Resort & Spa in Whistler, and Kimpton's Sky Hotel in Aspen. The total value of all silent auction items is over $7,000!

RAFFLE TICKET PRIZES

For this year's event we have a wide range of amazing raffle prizes. Those who have purchased tickets for this year's raffle draw will have a chance to win gift certificates for Whole Foods, Chevron, a stay at the Hotel Grand Pacific, gift baskets for AG Hair products, Clarins products, or a Zoom Whitening and Spa Treatment. The total value of all of the raffle prizes is over $1,500!

DOOR PRIZES

Tickets for this year's Wrap Up event are still available and are only $20, which gets you a drink and a chance to win one of our amazing door prizes. Just by attending you could win a stay at one of these glamorous hotels: Opus Hotel, Wickaninnish Inn, and Moda Hotel. The total value of this year's door prizes is over $4,000!

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Dress for Success Vancouver office at 604.480.7923.

We have tickets to Oakridge Centre's Fall Fashion Affair

It’s that time of year again - Oakridge Centre celebrates the changing of the season with its annual Fall Fashion Affair on September 22, 2009. Its going to be a fabulous night of glamour, fashion and fun - all in support of Dress for Success® Vancouver!

DETAILS:

European-style runway show

Delicious treats

Fabulous prizes

Exclusive live auction (Offering the Ultimate Oakridge Centre shopping experience and a one-on-one with Rebecca Tay from FASHION Magazine)

TICKETS: $40 / $60 VIP front row (these ticket prices only apply to tickets purchased directly from our office by calling 604.408.7923)

DATE: Tuesday, September 22

DOORS OPEN: 7 p.m.

Deb mentioned that last year the fabulous takeaway bags were easily valued at more than the cost of the tickets to the event! Come on out and support us at this fashionable event.

Update: Oakridge Centre Clothing Drive Results

Oakridge Centre held a wonderful clothing drive for us from September 7th - 13th. Generous donors brought clothing and accessories to the Oakridge Centre concierge desk. This resulted in 357 items being donated directly to Dress for Success® Vancouver. We would like to thank Oakridge Centre for holding this drive and all of the donors for bringing in these fantastic items. Thank you!

Corporate Challenge Wrap Party

Dress for Success® Vancouver & Pacific Palisades Hotel
welcome you to the 2009 Corporate Challenge Wrap Party.

Date: October 1st, 2009

Time: 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Location: Pacific Palisades Hotel - 1277 Robson St., Vancouver, B.C.
Cost: Only $20.00 per ticket.

Call 604.408.7923 to get your tickets before they sell out!

The ticket stub enters your name to win 1 of 25 fabulous door prizes
including 2 nights at the Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino, B.C.

The 2009 Corporate Challenge is proudly sponsored by:

2009 Corporate Challengers include:

Blake Cassels and Graydon LLP
Central 1 Credit Union
Clarins Canada Ltd.
Deloitte & Touche
Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy
McCarthy Tetrault
McNeill Nakamoto
Oakridge Shopping Centre
Original Cupcakes
Pacific Palisades Hotel
Stella & Dot
Teekay Corporation
Telus
Terasen
Valiant Trust Company

Corporate Challenge Kick-off

Photo Credit: Amber Light Photography

On September 1st, over 15 Vancouver businesses showed their support for Dress for Success Vancouver kicking off the annual Dress Me for Success Corporate Challenge. The teams from local businesses have challenged themselves to collect as many assigned pieces of clothing for Dress for Success Vancouver's aim to provide interview appropriate attire for Lower Mainland women. Each Dress for Success client receives a suit for her interviews and a small working wardrobe when she gets a job. The suits symbolize our faith in every woman's ability to succeed.

The Challengers will also be selling raffle tickets for the Wrap Up event. All profits will go towards Dress for Success Vancouver's mandate to help low and no income women transition into the workforce by providing professional attire, support services, and career and interview assistance.

At the Corporate Challenge kick off event, teams gathered at the Dress for Success office to get a behind the scenes look at the facilities. BC Social Venture Partners member, and GO Recruitment Founder, Raymond To inspired the teams to think about the importance of teamwork in the community when supporting Lower Mainland charitable organizations. Guests were treated to champagne and delicious cupcakes provided by Original Cupcakes.

The Dress Me for Success Corporate Challenge will conclude with a Wrap Party at the Pacific Palisades Hotel hosted by CTV Anchor Keri Adams. Guests will enjoy a showroom marketplace, a silent auction and prizes. The best part of the evening is when Challengers take part in the ultimate interview clothing scavenger hunt through the hotel, then strut their stuff in a fashion show for prizes. General admission tickets are $20, which includes a drink and chance to win a fabulous door prize. For tickets, please call 604-408-7923.

Congratulations to our Professional Women's Group Scholarship Recipients

Each year the Professional Women’s Group (PWG), a Dress for Success Vancouver program providing career support, awards several scholarships to PWG members to further their careers. We received eleven applications for three $500 scholarships this year. Thanks to generous donations by Christine Nicolas and an anonymous former client, Dress for Success Vancouver was able to provide scholarships to Majes Wimmer, Naima Bounousse and Patty Liu. Majes will be using her scholarship to take a Court Interpreter course. Naima has enrolled in an Early Childhood Education program and Patty is applying for a business language course.

OAKRIDGE Centre's Fall Fashion Affair - Tuesday, September 22

It’s that time of year again - Oakridge Centre celebrates the changing of the season with its annual Fall Fashion Affair on September 22, 2009. Its going to be a fabulous night of glamour, fashion and fun - all in support of Dress for Success® Vancouver!

Tickets on sale starting September 3 at the Oakridge Concierge Desk - 604-261-2511

DETAILS:
European-style runway show
Delicious treats
Fabulous prizes
Exclusive live auction (Offering the Ultimate Oakridge Centre shopping experience and a one-on-one with Rebecca Tay from FASHION Magazine)

TICKETS: $50 / $75 VIP front row
DATE: Tuesday, September 22
DOORS OPEN: 7 p.m.

Deb mentioned that last year the fabulous takeaway bags were easily valued at more than the cost of the tickets to the event! Come on out and support us at this wonderful event.

Oakridge Centre Clothing Drive

Oakridge Centre has helped inspire many Defining Moments over the past 50 years. This month, they have teamed up with Dress for Success® Vancouver to put on a clothing drive to help deserving women in our community create their own Defining Moment. You can help support the clothing drive by donating new or gently-used interview-appropriate clothing at the Oakridge Concierge between September 7 and 13, 2009.

For each donation, you will be entered to win an amazing VIP package for 2 for Oakridge Centre’s Fall Fashion Affair on September 22, 2009. Winners will receive the total star treatment: hair and make-up at Hennessy Salon and Spa, VIP seating in the front row at the Fall Fashion Affair and a lovely dinner for two at Oakridge Centre.

Cupcakes will dress you up this September

For the month of September, Cupcakes is proudly donating a portion of the proceeds from every dress you up cupcake sold to help fund the Dress for Success Vancouver Society and create a future for disadvantaged women who want to take charge of their lives.
The dress you up is a vanilla cupcake finished with purple buttercream and decorated with a fondant bow.

This is an annual cause cupcake in partnership with the Dress for Success® Vancouver Society to help create awareness for the local organization and help disadvantaged women re-enter the work force. The Dress for Success cause cupcake will be sold throughout the month of September at all 5 Cupcakes Bakery locations. For more information about Cupcakes you can visit their blog.

GUESS & The Style Spy present an event on Wednesday, September 9

GUESS by Marciano & thestylespy.com present an event where you can shop the hottest trends this season while getting styled in the latest looks by GUESS by Marciano’s Design Director, Alejandro Blanco. Dermalogica experts will also share skin tips to keep your skin fresh for fall.

Date: Wednesday, September 9, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: GUESS by Marciano, Metrotown, 4700 Kingsway, Burnaby BC