Fashion Disaster

02/28/05 The Chamber of Commerce Community Development Foundation in Lompoc kicked off its fund-raising drive Saturday night to buy the Spanne Building with the help of some models, that were, well, not so easy on the eyes.

About 130 people - at $50 a head - packed into La Purisima Catholic Church' hall for the "Fashion Catastrophe" and dinner, which featured some well-known Lompoc men going drag for the evening. By the end of the night, the audience was rolling with laughter.
(left to right) Jim White as model "Daisy Mae" shares a funny moment preparing his "figure" and hair with fellow model Jeff Lane playing "The Bride" prior to the start of the Fashion Catastrophe dinner and fashion show at La Purisima Church in Lompoc, Calif. to raise funds for the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau building fund.(photo by Daniel J. Quinajon/Freelance)

Chamber of Commerce Executive Assistant Dennis Headrick started the shindig off as he sashayed on stage in a black gown with gold trim, which he dubbed an original Oscar De La Rental. He put on a lengthy monologue and sang a rendition of "Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend" that was anything but rousing.

"There's all these men backstage dressed up in women's clothing drinking like fish," Headrick joked.

The idea for getting those men backstage came from advertising agency owner Marilyn Oliver and her friend, Pat Brady, who saw a similar show work several years ago in Florida. The board organizing the fund-raisers for the cause liked the idea and decided to give it a whirl.

"It was hilarious," Brady said about the Florida Fashion Catastrophe.

More fund-raisers to raise $20,000 by the end of the year to buy the Spanne building for the Chamber of Commerce are in the works. The chamber's foundation wants to eventually let community service nonprofit organizations use part of the building for offices.

Mayor Dick DeWees emceed the show with one-liner after one-liner.

"If you feel a little tipsy right now, you are going to sober up really quickly," DeWees said before the show got started.

"The (Hilton) sisters are here for a one-night stand, which shouldn't surprise anyone," he cracked during one introduction.[Source]

This might just be in good fun, but it still doesn't seem quite right even if it was only in the hall of a Catholic church. In Lent the only cross-dressing should be dressing the cross with a purple cloth.