Boutique and Love INC will host fashion show

It’s all about Love. Boulevard Boutique will host its third annual Share the Love Fashion Show to benefit Love in the Name of Christ (Love INC) of North Oakland County Feb. 19 at Boulder Pointe Golf Club, 1 Champions Circle in Oxford.

Patricia Duke, left and Sue Oles are planning the chic night out. Photo by James Hanlon.

Ten models who are frequent customers of Downtown Oxford’s The Boulevard Boutique will show off the consignment shop’s fashions and accessories. Shopping and silent auction begin at 5 p.m., dinner is a 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.
Last year the event raised $7,500 for Love INC, a charity clearinghouse which serves as a contact point to help people in need. When people call in, they assess their needs and direct them to local organizations or services who can help. In 2019, 24 volunteers logged 1,759 hours in the clearinghouse. They received 4,300 client-related calls and helped 617 families.
The fashion show started a couple years ago when Love INC Executive Director Patricia Duke was a customer at the boutique. She mentioned to the owner, Sue Oles, they needed help raising money. So Sue said, “Let’s put on a fashion show!”
This year they reached out to local businesses, especially those downtown that may be impacted by the road construction, not necessarily to donate, but to set up vendor booths so they can showcase their business.
“We are trying to really go local this time,” Duke said. “Not that we don’t always, we’re just trying give back to the community on a number of levels.”
Businesses and organizations are encouraged to buy a table for the event. North Oakland Dental bought two, for example.
Rev. Eric Johnson, the pastor at King of Kings Lutheran Church, will emcee the show for the third time.
Some Oxford celebrities will be there too. Police Chief Mike Solwold, firefighter Cody Roop, and former NFL fullback and Oxford’s new football coach Zach Line will serve as gentleman escorts to the lady models.
“We really want to thank them because they’re giving up their time to help this organization.” Oles said of the escorts and models.
There will also be a special performance by Tyler (Ty) Parkin, a singer-songwriter who grew up in Petoskey, then took his dream to Nashville where he has spent four years playing in clubs on the downtown strip.
“Playing guitar and singing in my college dorm was the serious start for this dream,” he explained. “It got more fun when people would knock to come in, listen and sing along. It led to me playing the local late night college hot spot.”
He has opened for acts like Tyler Farr and Eddie Montgomery. He also spent time recording under Dark Horse Studios in Franklin Tennessee.
“There’s going to be lots of eye candy,” Duke said.
Tickets are $40 per person or $360 for a table of 10. They can be purchased at loveincofnoc.org or at the Boulevard Boutique 5 S. Washington, Oxford.

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