From the Saint Harridan press release:
(Oakland, Calif. – August 13, 2013) There’s reason for Saint Harridan to celebrate. This weekend, women and trans men can walk into a store full of men’s-styled formalwear, and walk out with suits made to fit their bodies. It may just be the first time ever.
That’s why the online retailer is getting ready to pop the Champagne at an all out Gala to celebrate the milestone.
Guests at the Aug. 17 Saint Harridan Gala will meet Mary Going, founder of Saint Harridan, and mingle with models dressed in dapper suits from the company’s inaugural batch. The suits – reconstructed to fit women and trans men, while maintaining the aesthetic of the men’s department – are the first of their kind to be produced and sold “off the rack.”
The Saint Harridan Gala and Pop-Up Shop have been planned in coordination with the BUTCH Voices Conference also taking place this weekend at City Center.
Going will kick off the Gala Event immediately following the Saturday evening BUTCH Voices performance, BUTCH Nation, hosted at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle 410 14th Street, Oakland. BUTCH Voices guests can join Saint Harridan guests at the Gala on the first floor of the same venue.
Going will greet Saint Harridan supporters at a VIP Reception, 9 – 10 p.m.
Meanwhile, special guest emcee D’Lo and DJs Lady Ryan and Val G will get the big party going, 9 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Tickets are $25 VIP and $15 general pre-sale and $20 general at the door. Saint Harridan/BUTCH Nation passes are also available pre-sale for $25 and admit pass-holders to the BUTCH Nation performance as well as the Saint Harridan Gala.
Joe LeBlanc, founder and board chair of Butch Voices, is proud to partner with Saint Harridan during this coming weekend’s conference.
It’s the first time the six-year-old organization is collaborating with a designer to help butch, masculine-of-center and trans masculine folks “advocate for themselves in fashion and in their whole selves,” he said.
“We are excited about the progress that we are seeing broadly in masculine fashion for women and masculine-of-center folks,” said LeBlanc, who said he’s received a positive response from conference attendees.
Christine De La Rose, producer of fiveTEN Oakland Events, responsible for organizing the Gala, says she is honored by the chance to organize the party for Saint Harridan.
“It is a historic occasion both nationally and in Oakland for the LGBTQ community,” said De La Rosa. “Gala goers can expect fabulous Butch fashion, the incredible talent of D’Lo and great music by the Bay Area’s best DJs, DJ Lady Ryan and Val G.”
Going is also looking forward to Saturday’s Gala. “It’s all about coming out and looking your boldest in clothes that feel right to you,” said Going. “It’s a chance to dress up and see other people be dressed up.”
De La Rosa agreed.
“It is such a beautiful moment when I get to see my community dressed to the nines for an event. We don’t get a lot of opportunities to do it and so when we do it is a gorgeous sight to see,” said De La Rosa. “This weekend’s Saint Harridan Gala is a great opportunity for us to show up and show out in our finest threads.”
Saint Harridan’s Pop-Up Shop will be open Saturday, Aug. 17 and Sunday, Aug. 18 at Show and Tell Concept Shop in Oakland. The two-day brick and mortar shop marks the first in a national pop-up tour the company will conduct over the next several months.
To celebrate this historic moment, get your tickets at SaintHarridanOak.EventBrite.com.
To try on your Saint Harridan suit and meet Going, visit Show and Tell Concept Shop located at the City Center Complex at 1300 Clay Street, #160, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Aug. 17 – 18. The store is easily accessible by BART one block from the 12th Street Station and the Butch Voices Conference.
For more information visit SaintHarridan.com or RSVP for the store opening at www.facebook.com/events/634198753271077/.
Calendar Editors:
Saint Harridan Gala
Date: Saturday, August 17, 2013
Time: VIP Reception 9 – 10 p.m., Gala 9 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Location: Geoffrey’s Inner Circle (1st Floor), 410 14th Street, Oakland
(2 blocks from 12 Street BART and the Butch Voices Conference)
Cost: VIP $25 andGeneral $15 pre-sale and $20 General at the door
http://saintharridanoak.eventbrite.com/
Description: It’s a historic moment that demands an elegant Gala to mark the occasion. Saint Harridan has teamed up with fiveTEN Oakland Events and BUTCH Voices to host a remarkable evening of performance and celebration.
Immediately following the BUTCH Voices performance, 7 – 9 p.m., Saint Harridan’s Gala with cocktails, DJs, Saintly models in their finest Saint Harridan threads, and (of course) you!
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About Saint Harridan: Saint Harridan is a clothing company manufacturing and retailing men’s-styled suits for women and trans men. Find us at SaintHarridan.com and on Facebook.