Local Designer Presents “Brave is Beautiful” fashion to support Domestic Violence Families

Awe Sanjuan
Awe Sanjuan

Local Designer Presents “Brave is Beautiful” fashion to support Domestic Violence Families

LAKE COUNTY, IL – When the models of the “Brave is Beautiful” fashion show walk the

runway at Wine Women & Shoes on May 6 at Ravinia Festival, they will not only be wearing

the unique silk, denim, and lace creations of Lake Forest fashion designer, Ave Sanjuan, they

will be helping to raise funds to support domestic violence victims and their children.

Local designer Ave Sanjuan is no stranger to charity fashion events. Her first full

collection was presented in 2010 at Lake Forest Sportscars to help raise money for the

Gorton Community Center in Lake Forest, for which she won a Diamonds Designer Award. Since then, she has participated in shows for Susan G. Komen and Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation and will present her designs in the American Cancer Society Fashion Show fundraiser later this year.

“It is a true gif t to help A Safe Place, an organization that helps domestic violence victims

feel safe again,” Sanjuan said. “Home is where the hear t is and where you should feel a t

ease. No one should ever have to suffer and feel unsafe. I am honored to be able to help.”

Sanjuan started designing when she was 11 years old. Her mom designed beautiful dresses

for her and her sisters. “She was so talented, I remember trying on new dresses and how sweet

they were. I dedica te all my work to my Mother Celi,” she said.

She was studying Art Therapy at Lake Forest College when her professor suggested she pursue a degree in Fashion Design after seeing that her class project was two sculptures, a gown made all of safety pins and another gown made of window mesh and fishing line. She ended up with a degree in Fine Art Fashion Design from the Art Institute of Chicago.

“Designing clothes is a very innate part of me, being creative is a s tate of being and

I am completely in touch with the cloth,” Sanjuan said. “It all begins with a sketch and then becomes something you can actually wrap around you.”

Don’t miss Sanjuan’s unique designs for the “Brave is Beautiful” theme a t Wine Women & Shoes, an event to benefit A Safe Place, northern Illinois’s sole provider of services exclusively focusing on domestic violence victims and their children. All proceeds raised that evening help A Safe Place continue to provide lifesa ving services for survivors and children of domes tic

violence. Last year, A Safe Place served over 13,000 community members.

Along with the glamorous fashion show, Wine Women & Shoes includes unlimited wine tastings and wine raffle, a “Key to the Closet” raffle where the winner takes all, live and silent auctions, a photo shoot area with a complimentary memento, Best in Shoe Awards, and the charismatic Shoe Guys.

Tickets are available at http://www. winewomenandshoes.com/asafeplace for $100, which includes a trendy swag bag filled with a variety of goodies. VIP admission is $150 and includes express VIP check in, prime seating for the fashion show, a dedicated Shoe Guy at your table,

and a VIP Swag Bag filled with exclusive items. Those who cannot attend but would like to support A Safe Place can make a donation on the website or purchase Key to the Closet raffle tickets.

Founded in 1978, A Safe Place is the leading advocate for eliminating domestic violence in northern Illinois, and is Lake County, Illinois’ only provider of services exclusively for victims of domestic violence. A Safe Place provides emergency shelter, permanent housing, a 24-hour crisis line (847- 249-4450), court and non-legal advocacy, individual, group, and children ’s

counseling, art therapy, family visitation services, batterer intervention services; and community outreach, prevention education, and professional training. Service areas

include Lake, McHenry, and northern Cook counties in Illinois; however, clients come

from across the state, region, and country.

For more information about A Safe Place, visit www.asafeplaceforhelp.org, Facebook, and Twitter.

For more information on Wine Women & Shoes and to learn about sponsorship opportunities, please visit the e vent’s website at www.winewomenandshoes.com/ asafeplace. For more information on Ave Sanjuan Designs, visit www.avesanjuan. com.

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