Gabrielle’s Trendsetters host charity fashion show benefiting Boys and Girls Club

BILOXI, MS (WLOX) - A new student organization is making huge strides for the community. In its inaugural year, Gabrielle’s Trendsetters is teaching young women how to make a difference in the world. On Sunday, the group organized a fashion show to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of the Gulf Coast.

"We just put it together," said Lindsay Cooper. "Tried to make it as fun and modern as possible and just be like a really welcoming environment for everybody to come in and enjoy themselves."

Cooper is one of 22 high school girls making a difference with Gabrielle’s Trendsetters. The group was created by Gabrielle’s Boutique owner Wendy Shaw. It’s something Shaw has been working to start for 16 years.

"They have to be a junior or senior in high school," said Shaw. "They're leaders in their community. They obtain a certain GPA. They were interviewed by a panel of judges and became trendsetters."

Cooper sees it as a way to give back and be a part of the fashion world.

"I really like that we do a lot of service," Cooper said. "We get in the community and it's a fashion group which is what I've always been passionate about. That's what I'm majoring in in college so it was like the perfect thing at the perfect timing."

McKay Dockery believes the group’s first community project to raise funds for the Boys and Girls Club of the Gulf Coast is a worthy one.

"The people that work there do so much for people our age," Dockery said. "So we wanted to give back to them and we wanted to make them feel special. We wanted to do their make up. We wanted to do their hair. We wanted to invite them to this fashion show and just make them feel special."

The goal for the first year is to raise $5,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of the Gulf Coast. That’s money that will benefit kids like Taressa Smith who has been going to Boys and Girls Club for six years.

“It’s a great opportunity for us because we get to see different things and experience different opportunities,” said Smith. “It’s fun.”

Along with tickets for the show, the Trendsetters are also auctioning off five gift baskets worth about $600. Those proceeds will also go to the Boys and Girls Club.

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