Shes paying-it-forward, wedding day style.
A North Van wedding dress designer is completely reworking secondhand, out-of-date wedding dresses for five brides-to-be from the Downtown Eastside.
These women are unable to afford a wedding let alone a custom-made wedding dress, says Patty Nayel, owner of Pure Magnolia in Lynn Valley.
Everyone deserves to feel like a princess on their wedding day, regardless of their tax bracket.
The five women have gone though programs at the Crabtree Corner Family Resource Centre, a program for mothers in the poorest part on Vancouver. They are now engaged to be married and ready to start a new chapter in their lives.
The upcycled dresses, along with the debut of Pure Magnolias 2014 collection (pictured below), is showcasing at the boutiques Re-Vamp Charity Gala at the Vancouver Aquarium on Oct. 2.
A mermaid-style dress is being made from a dress donated by Value Village for one of the recipients, Claire, while Lisa is opting for a seashell ball gown, the boutiques most popular design.
To help the five ladies look their best, North Vans Zazou Salon and Spa is holding a pampering Oprah-like day, and Mirror Mirror Bijoux, a studio in Coquitlam, is designing custom jewelry.
We applaud the efforts of every women who has decided to take the path of sober living and recovery in the best way we know how, by creating sustainable custom-made wedding gowns, says Nayel, who hopes the dresses will add a touch of sparkle on each womans wedding day.
All proceeds from the charity gala go to YMCA Crabtree Corner. For ticket go to puremagnolia.ca or on Twitter at #pmrevamp.
