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March 8th, 2011 05:35pm

Couture from the coast: D4L CORPUS review

by Alex Pompliano

Jenna Carlson models a dress designed by Chanel Dupare. Photo by Benton Sampson
Assumptions for what constitutes high fashion today are that it’s made in France, frighteningly pricey and linked to the name of an Italian designer.
Downtown Wilmington is a long way from Paris or Milan, but at CORPUS it went unnoticed.
At 8:30, a half hour after the doors open, and Sputnik is already at capacity. Outside, a line stretches on the sidewalks eclipsing the entrances of other nightspots. Upstairs the venue had been transformed into a conceptualized runway with anxious photographers and onlookers filling every inch. Even “One Tree Hill” actress Sophia Bush was in attendance.
At 9, models began marching along the narrow strip of charcoal carpet, dressed in more than 30 outfits from 16 local designers. The designs ranged from complex garments, elegant dresses and Bosnian fabrics to the purely avant-garde.

Model Adrienne O'Docharty at NSalo Salon getting prepped before the show. Photo by Benton Sampson
Caroline Castles, featured designer and graduate of UNCW, described her environmentally consciousCastleCouture line as “handmade vegan clothing that doesn’t sacrifice comfort or style.”
Like much of the wardrobe featured at CORPUS, Wilmingtonians are able to purchase its personalized designs either from custom orders or at Edge of Urge.

“Each piece is actually designed and crafted in-house by the designer,” Castles said. “For our very small team, designing is a passion and way of life – not a 9-to-5 job.”
One can’t mention CORPUS without mentioning the creative team behind it: Dance 4 Liberation. In 2009, recent UNCW graduate, Aileen Haugh, started D4L from the ground up.
“The intention of doing the event came from my recent passion for social inequality issues,” Haugh said. “I learned about an organization called Friendship Bridge in Guatemala that micro-lend money to women to start their own businesses. (So) I combined my love for event planning with fundraising and Dance 4 Liberation was born.”
Since its humble beginning three years ago, the events of D4L have slowly fanned into a flame that’s been burning for a whole generation in Wilmington. After hosting several concerts and art sales, Haugh set her eyes on the runway.
“I was surprised to get so many local designers interested in featuring a line in the show,”  Haugh said. “Stores like Edge of Urge are a huge contribution to the local fashion scene (and) a wonderful meeting point for local talent to turn to. Wilmington is a great town to make a name for yourself in whatever creative talent you posses.”
CORPUS is the fourth fashion show by D4L, but they’re not just art for art’s sake; the primary goal of all events is bringing awareness to local non-profit organizations. Past events raised money for groups like Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and UNCW ECO club. The proceeds for CORPUS went toward the production of a documentary of the same name by local filmmaker Jeff Reynolds about the life of a man on death row for a crime he claims he did not commit.

Megan Loux models a dress constructed of playing cards, designed by Ashley Jane Sargent. Photo by Benton Sampson
Around 11, as the last model crossed the runway and disappeared behind red curtains. The music faded, the crowd dispersed and an inspired night of fashion ended.
Due to their meticulous efforts, Haugh and the rest of D4L raised more than $700 and have shown what is possible with proper planning and a wealth of creativity.
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Feeling Fierce:

Dance 4 Liberation presents animal-themed fashion for charity

by: Lauren Hodges



Autumn Creatures Fashion ShowNovember 18th, 8 p.m.
Projekte • 523 South 3rd St.
21+, $6; 18+, $8
Music by Her Royal Magnus
DJ set by FTA and Golden
VJ set by Oliver Mellan
Anyone who attended the first few events of Wilmington’s rising non-profit organization, Dance 4 Liberation, knows that the big-hearted planners behind the scenes really know how to throw a party. D4L started in September of 2009 while founder Aileen Haugh was still a senior studying communications at UNCW. She heard about an organization called Friendship Bridge, a nonprofit in Guatemala that educates women in business practice and opportunity, and decided to use her creative skills to help them raise money.
“I have been inspired by feminist causes my whole life,” she says. “This was my chance to give back by doing something I had always been interested in: event planning.”
The first fund-raiser, “Groove for Guatemala,” was held at Charley Brownz on Front Street and raised over $1,000 for the cause. Encouraged by the party’s success, Haugh decided to form a team of fellow college seniors and recent post-grads who would help her continue the service for other organizations. She brought on Annie Segrest as her partner and recruited members Ashley Jane Sargent, Rachelle Benson, Megan Piorko and Laine O’Connor. Over the past year, Dance 4 Liberation has planned eight successful events using the creative community for causes like the Lakota tribe in South Dakota, the Houston Moore After School Program, the Interfaith Refugee Ministry and a program called Link, which helps ex-convicts who are leaving prison and want a fresh start. Though the cause was controversial and met with some resistance, Haugh and her crew knew it was important to get involved.
“I guess some people don’t agree with helping ex-prisoners, but I couldn’t help seeing it as something positive,” she says. “These were people who wanted to turn their lives around, and it was going to be hard for them. We thought the program was great.”
D4L’s events range from high-energy club parties to themed exhibits, featuring music by local indie bands. Their open-minded outlook on programs allows them to work with a wide variety of causes, but they do have standards. All businesses that work with Dance 4 Liberation and their events must first be deemed socially and environmentally responsible. This guideline has proven helpful when it comes to choosing projects and recently led them to their next venture: a fashion show with SETA, Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animal.
“SETA actually approached us in September of this year,” Haugh says. “They wanted to do a fashion-themed event, and it sounded exciting! We got to work planning it right away.”
With the holidays quickly approaching, D4L and SETA were on a tight deadline if they didn’t want to host the event with an empty campus. Haugh knew her team didn’t want to work through Thanksgiving and Christmas, either. They had two months to pull everything together. Luckily, deciding on a theme wasn’t difficult given the circumstances, and they quickly arrived at “autumn creatures.”
“We wanted to celebrate this beautiful season while incorporating animals into the mix,” Haugh says. “The designers that got involved really took off in that direction and came up with some intense looks.”
Obviously, no fur or leather is allowed in the show, as SETA wants to encourage alternatives in the clothing, but the planning team promises that the finished product will still end up looking wild. Animal prints are big, along with fierce-looking hair and makeup designed by the folks at Rockin’ Roller Salon.
“Some of the designers are actually making each model look like a different animal,” Haugh says. With Halloween in the past, she insists that none of the looks are limited to costumes. “It’s all very wearable. They just embody that animal spirit.”
The fashion show will be held at Projekte on the corner of 3rd and Castle streets with Chapel Hill-based band Her Royal Magnus, DJs Golden and FTA, and a food spread sponsored by VegFund. Participating designers and vendors include local stars Aqua Fedora, Lula Balou, Half United and Double Wide. Proceeds benefit SETA, and their projects to help end animal cruelty in factory farms, clothing manufacturing, entertainment and lab experiments and to support local shelters.

Here Now - UNCW group decides it's time to ‘Kick It for the Kids'





Photo by Si Cantwell
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Aileen Haugh (from left), Jeff Hinshaw, Katelin Kight and Annie Segrest pose at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. The four seniors are organizing the third Dance4Liberation fundraiser, this time to benefit an after-school program at the Houston Moore public housing development.

By Si Cantwell
Si.Cantwell@StarNewsOnline.com
Published: Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 10:53 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 10:53 a.m.
Last year, a desire to help empower Guatemalan women spurred a group of young people at the University of North Carolina Wilmington to form Dance 4 Liberation.
Want to go?
Dance 4 Liberation: Kickin' It 4 the Kids will be 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. March 18 at Charley Brownz Lounge, 21 S. Front St. in Wilmington. Music will be provided by Snuff Daddy of Richmond, Va., and local performers Trevor Brown, James Ethan Clark and dj yung mz0kst. It's $3 for people 21 and up, $5 for those 18 to 20 years old. For more information or to see a promotional video, visitdance4liberation.blogspot.com.
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The group, which has grown larger and more diverse, is now planning its third fundraiser. This time, they're working for a cause closer to home.
Dance 4 Liberation: Kickin' It 4 the Kids will be March 18 at Charley Brownz Lounge. It will raise money to help an after-school program at the Houston Moore public housing development in Wilmington.
Founder Aileen Haugh and her friends hope this event will be bigger and better than the first two.
Haugh, who grew up in the Philippines and now calls both Chapel Hill and Washington, D.C., home, became interested in the cause of women in Guatemala through a teacher at UNCW.
“I'm involved in activism and women's rights,” she said. A communications major, she wanted to get some experience at event planning. So in September she decided to put together a fun evening to raise money for Friendship Bridge, which makes microloans to Guatamalan women for economic development.
“Aileen just had the idea,” said Jeff Hinshaw, who is studying psychology and creative writing. “People said, ‘You can't do that.' ”
“I didn't convince anybody. I just did it,” Haugh said. “Anyone can do anything they want.”
She's friends with the owner of Charley Brownz Lounge and arranged to hold the event there. Students put up a video on YouTube to promote it.
“You would be surprised how helpful people in the community are and how talented people are,” Haugh said.
Dance 4 Liberation is a nonprofit run entirely by students. It is not affiliated with the university.
Groove for Guatamala, held in November, set the template. Local musicians played. The students persuaded local businesses to contribute items to be raffled off. They also sold scarves, bracelets and “worry dolls” made by women in Guatemala. The event raised about $1,200.
Annie Segrest, a social work major who was interning with Wilmington Housing Authority, said they were so happy with the event that they began looking for another cause to help.
Segrest was preparing to visit the Lakota tribe in South Dakota with other social work students.
Dance 4 Liberation: Live 4 Lakota, was held in January. It raised $1,100, which Segrest and the other students are carrying to tribal leaders this week.
Segrest volunteers with the after-school program at Houston Moore. Dance 4 Liberation decided it was time to benefit a local initiative.
The network of socially committed friends has grown. Joshua Philippe, an art student, has joined digital design student Matt Stewart to craft promotional materials for the group.
MixGrotto, a group of young people passionate about both music and social causes, is helping out as well.
Trevor Brown is among the musicians for the March 18 event, and a MixGrotto artist is painting a backdrop for a photo booth that will help raise funds. UNCW's Environmental Concerns Organization (ECO) is also involved, said Katelin Kight.
“A lot of communities are working together,” Kight said.
“We're all into music and working for change,” Haugh said. “Everyone helps each other out. We're all very supportive of one another.”
Contact Si Cantwell at 343-2364 or Si.Cantwell@StarNewsOnline.com, or follow him on Twitter.com: @SiCantwell.






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