Think A-line dresses, circle skirts, tight-knit sweaters, polka dots, and 1950s sock hops. Think VintageNOW 5 (VN5) Fashion Show on Oct. 17 in Cape Girardeau.

The annual VintageNOW Fashion Show pairs vintage clothing styles with items already in your closets. This year, modern accents will be added from several of downtown Cape Girardeau’s boutique retailers: Ophelia, Philanthropy, and Stash.

“I wanted to show how to take vintage items and make them modern. I wanted people to understand how to wear vintage, now,” said Deb Maevers, show director and owner of Pastimes Antiques on naming the event. Maevers and a talented team of stylists work in tandem to procure all of the clothing, mainly from her shop, and go to painstaking lengths to find the perfect recipe for blending multiple artistic eras and music during the show.

“It’s so much fun going through the vintage pieces we have in the store and envisioning how we can make them work today,” she explained. “Whether it’s pairing a vintage dress with a new blazer or set of pumps, or teaming a modern top with beautiful vintage pants and accessories, I love seeing the interconnected mix of old and new.”

The team of stylists includes Rachel Ross McNeely, Lucy Mitchell-Warmke, Nicole Fouché, and Sarah Watkins-Ferrell. McNeely has been involved since the first VintageNOW. Starting as a model, McNeely’s involvement crossed over into the styling team. Lucy Mitchell-Warmke became part of the team as a model for the second VintageNOW, and, like Rachel, has transitioned to stylist. Nicole Fouché is playing double duty this year as both a model and stylist. Sarah Watkins-Ferrell is new to the VintageNOW team for VN5.

“Sometimes all it takes is a ‘new set of eyes’ on a woman’s closet to help see things differently and upcycle items with new accessories,” said Watkins-Ferrell. “People don’t take enough time to play in their clothes and make things work in new ways.”

VintageNOW is all about making things work in new ways. The new partnership with boutiques makes VintageNOW a unique downtown Cape Girardeau event – even though the runway is across town at the Osage Centre.

“We love working with these outlets because consumers can go out and actually buy these vintage looks,” said Maevers. “Not only is it a bonus for our downtown and local economy, but it’s also teaching consumers how to tap into the offerings we have here in our hometown.”

Proceeds from this event benefit our local Safe House for Women. Formed in 1991, this nonprofit organization serves as a refuge for women and children under the influence of domestic violence. The Safe House for Women provides 24-hour crisis hotline services, intensive case management, shelter, food, clothing, counseling, court advocacy and referral services all free of charge to those seeking help. Aside from helping people in need, the Safe House for Women’s main objective is stopping domestic violence all together through community awareness programs and the support of community members like us. Please join us in support of this worthwhile organization and help make our community safe for all.

VintageNOW5

Friday, October 17

Doors open at 6 p.m.

Show starts at 7:30 p.m.

General tickets - $25

Runway tickets - $50

Tickets are available by calling (573) 332-8882

The following images are behind-the-scenes snapshots of the fitting process with stylist Rachel Ross McNeely and models Chalice Keith and Marti Hartle.