Las Lomas club works to bring clothes to those in need

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Dec 10, 2008 | by Elisabeth Nardi

A group of Las Lomas High School girls are using their love of fashion to outfit those in need -- in style.

While some may think fashion is frivolous, fashion-minded juniors Jacqueline Ow and Natalie Herndon created not only one of the most popular clubs at school but also a successful first-year charity drive.

The Las Lomas Fashion Club is a place where -- mainly teenage girls -- get together and talk about the latest trends, newest designers and sales at local stores. The focus is normally the hottest designs, but for this holiday season the focus is all about giving.

Recently, club members scoured their closets, as well as their families' wardrobes, for a clothing drive. The plan was to donate some clothes for those in need, and ended up collecting so much that the students were able to put together more than 100 bags filled with "outfits."

"Making 100 outfits is crazy," said Ow, 16. "People really searched through their clothes and really gave."

The outfits will be delivered to the City of Refuge Church Tabernacle in Oakland this weekend. Ow found the group through her mom, an Oakland florist who has worked with the church. Ow hopes whomever ultimately gets the clothes will feel fashionable.

"Everyone is conscious about what they wear, and feeling good in what you are wearing can definitely give you confidence," she said.

Besides the clothing drive, the club invites anyone and everyone to biweekly lunch meetings to discuss, explore and pursue their interest in fashion and design, Ow said. From trading clothes to planning an upcoming prom dress donation, the club functions around a topic some may consider unimportant. Ow and Herndon disagree; fashion has always been a focus with Herndon's family, and after getting a business degree she hopes to someday become a clothes designer.

"We do get that a lot, that we are this dumb blonde club, but it's not -- we really care about this," said Herndon.

The pair started the club after finding that most of the current clubs didn't fit their interests. They admit it is not an academic club, but they don't think it should have to be.

"There are a lot of academic clubs, but this is a place to have fun and socialize," said Ow. "A lot of people think that fashion is very self-conscious and brand-conscious, but we are not like that ... we try and think of ways to give. And a lot of our club focuses on the design of something, not the brand."

Reach Elisabeth Nardi at 925-952-2617 or enardi@bayareanewsgroup.com.