Clothing swap kicks off Fashion Week

One of the biggest social events of the year is off and running.

Fashion Week of Rochester kicked off the five-day event Wednesday with an upscale clothing swap at Memorial Art Gallery.

The first at the door at noon had some true bargains to choose from. Nancy Sears, 55, of Rochester, immediately eyed a taupe Missoni V-neck sweater, with the brand's signature stripes. The sweater would retail at more than $600; Sears got it for a $20 donation to the Center for Youth and a nice discard from her closet.

'I got my money's worth,' Sears says.

This year, the event is tapping into the green movement, with Switch and Swap capitalizing on the growing popularity of 'upcycled' clothing from consignment shops, eBay or private swaps.

The first runway show on Thursday will be held in The Factory, a Neighborhood of the Arts building that is being renovated into mixed-use space. Saturday's show also will be held in a redevelopment project: the Temple Building downtown. And on Friday, the family-friendly show will be held at the historic Third Presbyterian Church on East Avenue, which has been recently restored.

The annual Boutique Crawl, with 20 participating shops, will be on Sunday afternoon.

The event is the Center for Youth's largest fundraiser, with the goal to raise $150,000 for the nonprofit this year.

The Switch & Swap was 'an opportunity to trade something that's been sitting in your closet for something fabulous,' says Chantiza Stern, co-organizer of Fashion Week.

But not just any item. As people came in with their tickets, boutique owners Sandy Furia Trivigno of B. Younique and Joan Lincoln of Panache Vintage and Finer Consignments made sure their clothing items were in good enough shape for the swap.

Boutiques also donated items to get the swap started. Shop Peppermint on Park Avenue, for example, donated summer dresses. Paislee Boutique in Brighton donated maxi dresses. Panache put out a Lilith jacket, still with tags, that would have retailed for more than $300 and placed a red Chanel twinset that originally retailed for more than $1,200 in the silent auction that accompanied the swap.

'I am all about upcycling and recycling,' Lincoln says.

Mildren Borresen, 54, of Rochester, dug deep into her closet and brought in a green Flax brand sweater and a Lands End wool skirt to swap.

'I'm looking for something fantastic that you don't know you need until you see it,' she says.

MCHAO@DemocratandChronicle.com