A group of Hammond girls recently used their love of fashion to raise more than $1000 for a charitable cause. The Planet Water Fashion Show, held in the Innovation Center on a Sunday afternoon, was a service project organized by senior Becca Nelson. 

Nelson is very proud to support Planet Water, an organization that “builds water filtration systems in countries with little to no access to clean water. They also provide hygiene education to every tribe or village that receives a water filter. These water filters provide villages with not only clean water, but also allow women to receive higher education and allow villages to begin to industrialize.” 

“I have been raising money for Planet Water since sophomore year,” Nelson said. “I needed to think of another big project to raise money. We used to do fashion shows at my sister’s high school in Connecticut, so I thought I could bring one to Hammond. I also love shopping and fashion, so this was the perfect project for me to coordinate.” 

Models included about 20 students, moms, and Hammond staff, and outfits ranged from the jeans and graphic T-shirt worn by Mary Kate Penninger to the elegant gown worn by Rebecca Waites.  

All the clothes were on loan from local stores. “Some stores had outfits picked out for us, and others we just walked around and let the girls wear what they wanted to,” Nelson said. “We tried to put ourselves in outfits that we wouldn’t usually wear to try and mimic a true fashion show. For example, few people wear the clothes they see on the runway, so we all tried to wear things that were more out there!” 

The show was emceed by Mr. Hillard, and the script was written by Nelson’s mother. At the end of the show, Nelson took to the stage to thank her mom, who was a vital organizing force behind the scenes: “My mom basically made me snap into reality and realize that putting on a fashion show is much more than just picking out clothes…she picked up the clothes from each store, went with me and the models to pick out outfits, and helped spread the word for the show. The fashion show would not have happened without her!”