By Marissa Almoslino, Rena Greene and Julia Appelbaum, talking to Jessica Hoffman, regional director of greater Seattle NCSY.

What age range is the clothing directed to?
The age range of the styles being shown at the Mod-Fab Fashion Show is teen and up! From gorgeous dresses to casual wear, funky to classic, we’ve got a beautiful show coming.

Is the clothing in fashion?
The entire point of this fashion show is to feature in-fashion clothing that just so happens to be on the modest side. It does exist!

Where did this Mod-Fab Fashion Show come from?
I was covering a charity fashion show for a local magazine, and so many of the styles were over-the-top revealing and none of it was ready-to-wear, especially for Seattle weather the rest of the year. I would much rather attend a fashion show where I might want to buy the clothing afterward. Beautiful pieces that are also every-shape friendly, and don’t show every inch of my skin! Then I saw that New York NCSY did an event called Project Frumway, and it inspired me to bring a version of that event here to Seattle.

What is the purpose of this event?
I wanted to feature what we have to offer to our women and teen girls who are shopping in this town and don’t always want to layer a long-sleeve shirt under a sleeveless dress, or make do with the first thing they can find. And of course to show that you can be fabulous and gorgeous and completely stylish while still dressing modestly. Modesty, of course, has many levels, but the most important level is the way that you feel when you leave your home every day. Do you feel exposed? Or do you feel confident and beautiful? It should always be the latter.

Can I buy the clothing after it is modeled?
Many of the designs will be available for auction (for charity, of course!) at the end of the show. The designs from local boutiques Peridot and Velouria will be available at those stores.

Who are the designers and how did you choose them?
I started by scouring local Seattle shops for the stores who sold beautiful clothing that also just happened to be modest. It wasn’t hard to find. Peridot was an easy choice, with their abundance of sweaters, skirts, and long-sleeve dresses. Their funky-meets-upscale style is appealing, and their blog and Facebook page encourage exploring the store and mixing-and-matching their clothes in exciting combinations. I chose Velouria because of their commitment to supporting local designers. They feature Seattle-based designers, and focus on pieces that are artistic, luxurious, and unique.
While I was at it, I also wanted to promote brands that think of modesty first when they design their clothes. Jewish-Israeli designer Marina Rahlin already had a successful line, but she chose to create MaRa because of her fiancé’s family, who are observant Jews, complaining that it was difficult to find clothing that doesn’t require layering shells underneath, and they wished she could design her already popular cocktail dresses — but with sleeves!
“One-piece” designs from MaRa were an easy choice, and Marina will be joining us at Mod-Fab and presenting her new line. Mikarose is a website I’ve personally shopped from in the past.
Their styles run long, so even the tallest women can order from them and the shortest women can simply hem. The last designer to join the list was Sarah: A La Mode, a dress line out of Montreal. All of her clothing is ready-to-wear and ready-to-swim. Waterproof fabrics make her clothing not only good for a spontaneous swim in the ocean, but also good for moms with kids who spill a lot. I’m so excited to show off these boutiques and designers. 

Who are the models?
Our teens! Jewish teenage girls will be modeling all the clothing at this ladies-only event. Come out and support them and watch them walk! They’ll be getting their hair and makeup done and will look absolutely fantastic.

Who would enjoy this event?
Everyone. From tweens to grandmothers, this event is for women who want to have a fun evening, attend a great fashion show, and support a worthy cause.

I heard there are swag bags. I want one!
So attend! Every attendee walks away with a reusable swag bag filled with goodies and coupons. From earrings to cookies…yum.

I checked out your event partner, Modesty.com.
They’re fantastic. The founder, Sarah, saw a void on the Internet the same way I saw a void here in Seattle. Collecting high-end modest clothing in one place and hosting flash sales…why didn’t I think of it myself? We share the same cause so it was a natural partnership. They even sold a BCBG leopard-print dress to raise money for Seattle NCSY!