By Laurie Whittier
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

When Bobbi Rosack began working with Coldwater Creek to bring a fashion show to Wind Crest, she had a few requests: showcase fun and affordable outfits geared toward older women, and allow Wind Crest residents to model them.

Women’s apparel retailer Coldwater Creek was happy to oblige, and Wind Crest’s first fashion show this spring attracted 106 attendees— more than double the number that Rosack had anticipated.  

The idea for a fashion show came from Rosack’s background in retail. “After I moved here, people began commenting on my wardrobe and asking me to go shopping with them,” she says. Rosack soon realized that a fashion show might help others enhance their wardrobes without spending a fortune.

Fate loves fashion
During a subsequent shopping visit to Coldwater Creek, Rosack ran into the assistant manager she had worked with at Macy’s and pitched her proposal. “She loved the idea,” Rosack says.

Rosack felt Coldwater Creek was a good fit for Wind Crest because they carry “fun, casual, and classy clothing for older women.” And they were more than happy to accommodate Rosack’s request to let Wind Crest residents do the modeling.

“I didn’t want pencil-thin models showing stuff that our residents can’t wear,” says Rosack. “These were people we knew and could relate to.”

Wind Crest’s models were Dorothea Gerber, Laurel Hansen, Margaret Hinderliter, Virginia Murphy, Karen Weerts, and Norma Welch. And though none had modeled professionally, at least three had previous experience. Weerts owned a modeling agency years back, and both Hinderliter and Welch had modeled at various venues—including retail shows.

Right event, right price
Rosack speculates that Coldwater Creek’s presence was part of the reason behind the surprising turnout. “I also think a lot of people were ready for something different and saw this as a girls’ day out.”