Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 20, No. 45, Ed. 1 Friday, March 12, 2004 Page: 34 of 72
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I ife+sty lefash i on
TWO FASHIONISTAS
ARE BETTER THAN ONE:
Neale Jones, left, and
Densii Adams are co-
chairs for Dallas
Collection 2004.
DIFFA Dallas Collection celebrates 15 years with its most ambitious runway show
By Daniel A. Kusner Life+Style Editor
Volunteerism can rebuild communities
in times of crisis and can help spread
compassion throughout the world.
Even George W. Bush urges each
American to dedicate 4,000 hours (two years
over the course of a lifetime) to serving their fel-
low man.
For the past 15 years, the Dallas chapter of the
Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS
(DIFFA) has mounted the Dallas Collection — a
Texas-sized runway show where denim jackets
are transformed into wildly imaginative works of
art and then auctioned off to raise money for
HIV-AIDS organizations. During the black-tie
event, an intoxicating fashion-crazed vibe sails
through the air. And each year, the snazzy cat-
walk-show — featuring designs by luminaries
like Kenneth Cole, Calvin Klein, Diane von
Furstenburg, Tommy Bahama and Todd Oldham
— lures more and more volunteers who want to
be a part of label-conscious goodwill.
"I'm working with approximately 500 volun-
teers for this year's event," says Densii Adams,
co-chair and director of Evolution, the title of the
2004 collection, which kicks off on Saturday at
the International Apparel Mart.
Adams, a retired professional dancer who now
runs the Preston Center Dance studio, first
attended the Dallas Collection in 1991.
'1 was amazed by how the show was present-
ed. It was so over the top — like Broadway
mixed with Las Vegas," Adams remembers. "I
was a starving artist at the time, and didn't have
the money to support the cause, so I gave though
my time and talent as a choreographer."
Neale Jones, a freelance art director and home-
and-fashion stylist, saw one of the first Dallas
Collections and was drawn into the excitement,
but he didn't have a lot of cash either.
"But I wanted to help my friends and loved
ones that I was losing to AIDS/' so he donated
his time and helped by designing the auction.
Both Jones and Adams have earned their
stripes as tireless volunteers. And this year the
Dallas Collection decided to elect co-chairs .
"It was only logical that we divide the duties,
because the work is just so much for once per-
son," Adams says. Jones concentrates on graphic
design, the displaying of the jackets and the auc-
tion, while Adams directs the runway show — a
concept he began outlining last September, after
they both decided on the Evolution theme.
"The first word that came to mind was love.
And the first four letters of Evolution spelled
backwards is love," Jones explains.
The runway show will feature 154 jackets —
whereas previous collections normally featured
approximately 100 designs. The blocking for the
runway show won't take place until Saturday
afternoon, but Adams is estimating that it will last
an hour. Making sure those entrances go smooth-
ly is only part of his job.
"We have jackets that designers from all over
the world have created, and they haven't been
given anything specific to design. The challenge
is to create a show where those jackets so they
can make sense artistically," Adams explains.
He envisioned his Evolution concept in six
segments.
"The evolution of the world; the evolution of
humanity; the evolution of the jacket, the evolu-
tion of DIFFA Dallas, the evolution of HTV-
AIDS — because it's important to emphasize
why we're doing the show; and we close with the
evolution of love," Adams explains.
As co-chairs, Jones and Adams admit that the
position is extremely time consuming. Getting
the Dallas Collection off the ground and on the
runway is a small part. There are also endless
committee meetings for sponsorships and adver-
tisement sales, year-round fund-raising activities
and arranging all those gift bags. But the overall
goal is clear in their minds.
"Our objective to sell every jacket and raise as
much money as we possibly can so we can give
it back to our community — to the AIDS servic-
es organizations," Jones says.
"And, of course, to have people say, 'Wow,
what a show. Let's spend lots of money,'" Adams
adds.
International Apparel Mart, 2300 N.
Steinnwns. March 13 at 6p.m. Tickets are $100-
$225 for individual seating, and $2,500-$10,000
for tables of 10 Dinner, beverages, coat check
and valet parking included . Attire is black-tie
and vintage DIFFA jackets. 214-748-8580.
34 I dallasvoice.com I 03.12.04
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Vercher, Dennis. Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 20, No. 45, Ed. 1 Friday, March 12, 2004, newspaper, March 12, 2004; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth238885/m1/34/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.