Local Businesses Join Forces to Host Behind the Seams Fashion Show

Behind the Seams, a high-energy fashion show benefiting Eva’s Village, will take place at Bottagra Restaurant in Hawthorne on Wednesday, May 18 from 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. The event will celebrate 40 years of Eva’s Village helping individuals in the Paterson area who need food, shelter or addiction recovery support. Behind the Seams has been on hold due to COVID-19 for two years, but the last event in 2019 raised nearly $190,000 to support the programs at Eva's Village.

“Behind the Seams has become one of the largest annual fundraisers for Eva’s Village, allowing us to help Paterson community members overcome barriers to healthy, stable and financially secure lives,” said Joey Mazza, Special Events Manager for Eva’s Village. “When we first created Behind the Seams eleven years ago, we had a small and mighty team, but the event has grown significantly in size and scope. This year, our committee consists of twelve local businesses who are dedicating their time and resources to plan the biggest Behind the Seams yet.”

Behind the Seams will consist of a lavish cocktail hour, gourmet food and beverage stations, silent and live auctions, and a tented runway show featuring 2022 spring and summer styles by two clothing boutiques with long-standing roots in New Jersey. Male styles will be presented by Sal Lauretta for Men, a men’s shop in Midland Park that specializes in fine made-to-measure and designer menswear. Boutique 811, a women’s fashion boutique in Franklin Lakes that offers unique styles plus personal styling services, will showcase seasonal trends for women.

Despite challenges from the pandemic, last year Eva’s Village:

• Served 401,224 meals
• Helped 3,460 individuals find a path to recovery
• Treated 1,383 patients at the Medical and Dental Clinic
• Provided housing and supportive services to 268 individuals

After two years of using a takeout system to provide community members with meals, Eva’s Village recently resumed sit-down services in its Community Kitchen.

Tickets for Behind the Seams are currently on sale. To purchase a ticket or reserve a table, visit: https://www.evasvillage.org/behindtheseams.html