AIN Art+Fashion+Community Event Highlights Dallas-Based Artists
By Cynthia Smoot Photography by Danny Campbell and Marcus Perryman
THE SETTING: AIN (Access & Information Network) recently hosted a new event, Art+Fashion+Community, which was welcomed with open arms to a sold-out crowd with presenting sponsor AHF. It was a meeting of the minds that brought together an exhibition of the who’s who in the art and fashion world. Guests were treated to an array of photography, paintings, sculpture, and fashions from six local designers.
Models, poised on pedestals, were transformed into works of art in the Samuel Lynne Galleries. Designers included Project Runway alum Venny Etienne, Don Morphy, Julie McCullough, Amy Marshall, Loren Franco, and Arnulfo Villa. Amy Marshall’s collection took everyone’s breath away with her 1981 collection about the outbreak of AIDS in the community.
THE STYLE: Guests strolled through the gallery while being treated to hors d’oeuvres from Doug Boster Catering and drinks from Hell’s Half Acres vodka and Community Beer Co. Guests could also bid on one-of-a-kind T-shirts designed by artists including Tyler Shields, Cristi Meril, JD Miller and Project Runway darlings Daniel Esquivel and Lela Orr.
THE PURPOSE: The event was chaired by Lea Fisher, Ken Weber & JR Hernandez. For over 30 years, AIN been a leading healthcare resource for persons living with HIV and other vulnerable populations in the Dallas region. The organization serves over 2,000 diagnosed low-income men, women and youths by distributing over 140,000 rides annually to medical and social services. It also provides 25,000 hot meals every year through its nutrition program.