Color Me Asheville by Goodwill Celebrates 10 Years of Sustainable Fashion

When seven local design teams take the stage at the Orange Peel for this year’s Color Me Asheville by Goodwill fashion show, they will mark the latest evolution in what has become one of the area’s premier fashion events.

Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina, Inc., will present the 10th Annual Color Me Asheville by Goodwill show on Friday, April 17, at the Orange Peel. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. All ticket proceeds will benefit Bounty & Soul, a nonprofit food bank based in Black Mountain.

The popular fashion show (originally known as Color Me Goodwill) was presented in February 2015 at The Venue in downtown Asheville to a sold-out audience of approx. 250. With the exception of 2020 and 2021, the show has taken place each year since, moving to the Orange Peel in 2017.

A Fashion Show with a Mission

“Color Me Asheville was first conceived as a way to connect with Asheville’s creative community and raise awareness of how secondhand shopping positively impacts our environment and supports Goodwill’s employment services,” says Ginger Salt, Goodwill’s Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer. “We knew that many local designers and artists sourced materials at Goodwill, particularly at the Goodwill Outlet on Patton Avenue. The fashion show was our way of supporting and promoting that community.”

The format was simple: each designer or design team receives $200 to shop for materials at Goodwill, which they deconstruct and rebuild into a five-piece runway collection. Each collection is based on a selected color. The audience has an opportunity to vote on their favorite collection, whose designer receives a cash prize. Along the way, the show weaves in stories about people who’ve participated in Goodwill’s workforce development programs, including veterans, people with disabilities, youth in the foster care system, and justice-involved individuals.

“We were blown away by the show’s immediate success and by how many local creatives were eager to participate,” Salt said. Over the years, more than 40 designers have presented Color Me Asheville collections as individuals and in teams. The move to the Orange Peel more than doubled the capacity of available tickets.

“That was especially important last year when Goodwill converted the show to a fundraiser for a local nonprofit organization following the devastation of Hurricane Helene,” Salt said. “Last year’s special benefit performance of Color Me Asheville welcomed a bigger audience than ever before, both in person and online, and raised more than $20,000 for BeLoved Asheville.”

Building a Sustainable Fashion Family

Each year, the slate of designers has included names familiar to the Asheville community as well as newer designers. Several of the designers who’ve participated in Color Me Asheville were once audience members before attending the show inspired them to pick up repurposed fashion themselves, Salt says. The show has welcomed everyone from high school and college students to established professionals.

“It’s very special to see how many people return to Color Me Asheville each year because the experience has been so meaningful for them,” Salt said. “One example is our incredible show director Leanna Echeverri, who competed in the show for its first five years and won twice. Leanna is the perfect mentor to both new and returning design teams thanks to her experience as a successful designer herself.”

This year, six design teams will compete for the $500 audience choice award. In addition, past winner Sheila Thibodeaux will share a special presentation. Learn more about the designers in this year’s Color Me Asheville show.

Ticket Information

Tickets for Color Me Asheville are only available through the Orange Peel box office. Visit www.ColorMeAsheville.org for tickets and more information. Seated tickets are $30 and standing tickets are $25. In addition, livestreaming tickets will be available for $10. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m.

In addition to ticket proceeds, people can donate to Bounty & Soul through the website in advance or on-site at the show. “Bounty & Soul brings an incredible spark to our community, and we’re thrilled to champion their work this year,” said Lance Crawford, Goodwill’s District Director of Workforce Development. “Their fresh‑food distributions and whole‑person wellness programs create real, immediate impact; and that energy aligns perfectly with the spirit of Color Me Asheville. Supporting them means fueling a healthier, stronger community for everyone.”