Goodwill Industries® of Greater NY and Northern NJ honored longtime workforce partner BNY Mellon during Evening of Treasures, its annual sustainable fashion & power of work fundraising event, on Wednesday, May 3 with celebrity host Jenna Lyons and designers Todd Snyder, Willy Chavarria, and Rinat Brodach who presented their upcycled creations using Goodwill merchandise to support the nonprofit’s human services mission and celebrate Goodwill’s impact in reuse.

NEW YORK, May 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Goodwill Industries® of Greater NY and Northern NJ (Goodwill NYNJ) hosted its third annual Goodwill Evening of Treasures event to celebrate sustainable fashion and the power of work. Fashion icon Jenna Lyons hosted the event at 10 Hudson Yards; New York, NY 10001, on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Designers Todd Snyder, Willy Chavarria and Rinat Brodach presented one-of-a-kind outfits upcycled using Goodwill-sourced merchandise and donated the looks for auction benefitting Goodwill. Tommy Hilfiger also donated a Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive look. Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive is part of TOMMY HILFIGER’s commitment to create fashion that wastes nothing and welcomes all, driving forward the company’s mission to be a brand that works for every TOMMY fan – always inclusive, completely accessible.

Goodwill NYNJ honored BNY Mellon for their longstanding support of our mission at the 2023 Evening of Treasures. Jolen Anderson, Global Head of Human Resources, Corporate Responsibility and Philanthropy at BNY Mellon, accepted the Corporate Leadership Award at the May 3 event.

BNY Mellon supports organizations like Goodwill to make a positive impact in the communities where they live and work. BNY Mellon’s philanthropy grants to Goodwill has helped launch new and innovative programs that remove barriers to employment for women, people of color, the under- and unemployed and others often left on the sidelines of the workplace. With BNY Mellon’s collaboration, Goodwill NYNJ’s Bridge to Technology program helps equip individuals with the necessary skills to qualify for, and graduate from, a range of advanced technology trainings and obtain in-demand tech jobs.

“BNY Mellon is proud to dedicate resources and share the talents of our employees to empower the workforce of tomorrow,” said Jolen Anderson, Head of Human Resources at BNY Mellon. “We look forward to continuing our work with Goodwill NYNJ to break down barriers and create more diverse workplaces.”

Additionally, BNY Mellon’s seed funding of Goodwill NYNJ’s Pharmacy Technician program is helping to recruit and employ the next generation of pharmacy technicians, providing young adults with the knowledge, skills and expertise needed to complete the pharmacy technician certification board (PTCB) exam.

Goodwill’s Evening of Treasures red carpet featured, in addition to host Jenna Lyons and guest designers, bold faced named attendees in upcycled and second-hand styled outfits including Dapper Dan; Yeohlee Teng; Shawn Pean, June79; Casandra Diggs, CFDA; Fern Mallis; Aube Jolicoeur; Felita Harris; Josh Peskowitz; Gigi Burris; Roopal Patel, Saks Fifth Ave; David Duplantis, Boy Smells; and Lauren Singer, environmental activist, entrepreneur, and blogger, among others.

The event featured stories of people with disabilities and other employment barriers Goodwill NYNJ has supported on their journey to employment and independence. Persons like Nicholas, a Bronx resident in his forties diagnosed with schizoaffective and panic disorder, who had to move to a domestic violence shelter with his son after being laid off from a 12-year job and leaving a turbulent family relationship. Nicholas joined Goodwill’s Citiview Connections Clubhouse where he could socialize with peers, stay connected to the community, and design a personalized Wellness Recovery Action Plan to stay out of the hospital. When he was ready, a Goodwill caseworker helped him find a job that he loves. Sylvia, a Brooklyn resident in her thirties diagnosed with autism, loves music, acting and history. Thanks to Goodwill’s person-centered job search and workplace support, Sylvia now works at the Irish Arts Center, where she learns about her heritage and enjoys socializing with her colleagues and customers.

Meet Sylvia and Nicholas in this video

In addition to public and private funding from individuals and corporates, revenue from the Goodwill Evening of Treasures, Goodwill stores and ShopGoodwill.com/NYNJ helps support Goodwill NYNJ’s placement, training, on-the-job coaching, and retention services for individuals with disabilities and other barriers seeking employment. Goodwill NYNJ also helps individuals with mental health conditions stay healthy and on their jobs.

In 2022, Goodwill NYNJ provided employment services for more than 9,000 people who are under- or unemployed, approximately half of them people with disabilities. In the past year, Goodwill NYNJ placed 1,042 people in new jobs, including 565 individuals with disabilities, a 27% increase from the previous year, outside its stores with employers such as hospitals and health care centers, tech and accounting firms, warehousing and manufacturing sectors, and NYC agencies.

Goodwill NYNJ created one of the first sustainable fashion enterprises more than 108 years ago. While a new “slow fashion” movement is starting to disrupt the fashion industry today, there is a dire need for ways to reduce textile waste.

• The clothing industry accounts for a huge amount of energy and water usage and about 4% of the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.
• According to a McKinsey study, for every five new garments produced each year, three garments are disposed of.
• 90% of our clothing is thrown away before it needs to, research has shown.

Goodwill NYNJ’s environmental impact:  In 2022, Goodwill NYNJ helped find new homes for 39 million pounds of pre-loved clothing and home goods, successfully diverting them from the landfills, and saving nearly 57k metric tons of CO2 from polluting the atmosphere.

Goodwill NYNJ was honored to have Jenna Lyons join the 2023 Evening of Treasures as Host. While president and executive creative director of J.Crew Group, Jenna Lyons was widely recognized as the creative force behind the American retail chain’s phenomenal rise from floundering catalogue chain to one of the most coveted fashion brands in the US. Jenna is now Co-Founder and CEO of direct-to-consumer beauty brand, LoveSeen. A creative agent at large, Jenna is an interior designer, consultant for The Expert and most recently has joined the all-new cast of BRAVO’s hit show, The Real Housewives of New York City, set to air this summer.

Jenna brings tremendous experience to the celebration and conversation with three designers featured in this year’s Evening of Treasures fashion show. Goodwill is thrilled to have Jenna join us for an unforgettable evening of upcycled style and philanthropy.

Goodwill’s Evening of Treasures includes a panel discussion led by Jenna Lyons with designers Todd Snyder, Willy Chavarria and Rinat Brodach presenting their upcycle designs donated in support of Goodwill.

“Over the past 3 years, I have been using deadstock and scrap fabrics which have been overlooked, disregarded, or literally thrown away,” said Rinat Brodach. “I love giving them a new life with hand dying, bleach, and luxurious finishings, and it’s helped me become a more sustainable brand – waste is the biggest source of pollution in the fashion industry! As of this last NY Fashion Week, I started recycling knitwear, going to different Goodwill stores and other secondhand stores to find old sweaters to recreate some of our staples with a new twist. There are so many good finds out there! After putting in the work you would never know my clothes were made of previously unwanted, discarded materials, and that connects to my journey in many ways.”

“For this upcoming season, I worked primarily with recycled fabrics or pieces that hadn’t been used for past production. I love being able to use materials that may otherwise have been thrown away. This way we give them a new life and out of our landfills,” said designer Willy Chavarria. “I am so proud to have partnered with Goodwill NYNJ on The Evening of Treasures – supporting its efforts in the community with employment opportunities, creating a full ready-to-wear look with what I could find in its stores. There are so many amazing pieces out there and I’m excited to give them a new chance to be seen in the world. Here at Willy Chavarria, we believe everyone and everything needs a chance to be seen!”

“It was exciting to partner with Goodwill to demonstrate the treasures found in their stores and to shine a light on their ongoing efforts to amplify local communities and promote the concept of circular fashion. I designed this look like I design my collections by taking traditional menswear classics and reworking them in fresh and exciting ways. A classic sartorial trench coat is updated with the sleeves of a Champion bomber jacket. The pockets of army-inspired fatigues are replaced with the pockets from tweed blazers. It’s about the classics reimagined.”

“It is exciting to see Goodwill NYNJ pre-loved items upcycled into unique outfits by such well-known designers. Goodwill NYNJ knows that on top of the sustainability- shopping and wearing thrift is economical, unique, and fun,” says Katy Gaul-Stigge, Goodwill NYNJ President and CEO. “We are delighted and we thank our friends, fashion innovators: Jenna Lyons, Todd Snyder, Willy Chavarria, and Rinat Brodach for joining Evening of Treasures to join our double impact mission of sustainable fashion and the power of work.”

About Rinat Brodach:

Rinat Brodach founded RINAT BRODACH in New York City in 2014 as a women’s wear brand after attending the Academy of Art in San Francisco and The Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in Paris. In 2018 she relaunched her brand as Gender Free, and its combination of a high-fashion sensibility with accessible and inclusive design has led to praise in publications including Elle, WWD, Vogue, ID Magazine, Forbes, and Ynet.

Rinat greatly expanded her global visibility and customer base as a featured contestant on the first season of the Amazon Prime fashion competition show “Making The Cut,” which premiered in March 2020 and resulted in a collaboration with Puma. In addition to selling directly to consumers at rinatbrodach.com, Instagram, and Facebook, RINAT BRODACH has been stocked in NYC, Tokyo, London, and San Francisco.

About Willy Chavarria:

Willy Chavarria was born in Fresno, California. With a focus on art and commerce, he studied graphic design at the Academy of the Arts and eventually found his home in the creation of fashion. At age 21, Willy began working for Nicholas Graham on the creation of Joe Boxer, and from there began to design cycling apparel for VOLER based in San Luis Obispo, California, which led to being tapped by Ralph Lauren to work on the launch of RLX.

After a move to New York, Willy eventually designed across several categories at Ralph Lauren, which led to an opportunity to become the director of design for underwear, footwear, and accessories at American Eagle. While at American Eagle, Willy opened a retail store in SoHo called Palmer Trading Company and created a label under the same name that began to have a cult following in the US and in Japan, where a strong wholesale business was formed.

This led to the launch of his own eponymous label in 2015, which had a more personal and expressive approach to branding and design.

There is a sensitive and cinematic approach to the WILLY CHAVARRIA collections. His concept blends the emotion of art and modern politics into a reactionary story of the human will. The brand began to receive attention after creating controversial and poignant runway presentations. From here the brand began to be carried in renowned retailers worldwide such as Barneys, Dover Street Market, and Browns.

It also led to opportunities to work on other brands such as Kanye West’s YEEZY label, where Willy was the Executive Lead Concept and Design, and Calvin Klein, where Willy is now Senior Vice President, Design, Calvin Klein North America & Global Essentials Apparel (Men’s). Honored to be awarded the American Image Award for Fashion, Willy has also most recently been awarded the Smithsonian, Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Fashion, and was nominated for a CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year award. He has been featured in publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Town & Country, HighSnobiety, Dazed, AnOther, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, W Magazine, Vogue, The Financial Times, as well as most recently, Time Magazine, where his pieces graced the magazine’s first ever Spanish language cover on musician Bad Bunny.

About Todd Snyder:

Since launching his eponymous label in 2011, Todd Snyder has infused his love for New York City into the DNA of his brand, redefining how modern American men can present themselves to the world in stylish, unexpected ways. From bespoke tailoring to innovative capsule collections, Todd’s creations show that good style can be attainable and even playful. He resides on the cutting edge of fashion retail and is always looking for unexpected ways to push creative boundaries, as seen through innovative capsule collections and limited-edition designs with brands including Champion, New Balance, Timex, Moscot, Moby’s, and FJ Company. Todd serves as a mentor for the next generation of designers at his alma mater, Iowa State University where he works closely with emerging talent through the label’s robust internship program.

The Todd Snyder New York flagship store and his second location, Todd Snyder at the Liquor Store, have been hailed as innovative retail and lifestyle hubs by The New York Times, New York Magazine, GQ and others, solidifying the brand’s status as a go-to shopping destination for fashion insiders and sharp dressers worldwide. Previously, Todd held leading roles at Polo Ralph Lauren, The Gap and J.Crew. As head of menswear at J.Crew, he created the J. Crew Liquor Store in New York City, a first-of-its-kind concept offering a curated selection of apparel and lifestyle products. He has also been recognized four times by the CFDA as a Menswear Designer of the Year nominee and was a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist. Todd is currently based in New York City and has three daughters.

About Goodwill NYNJ:

Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, Inc. (Goodwill NYNJ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates retail stores throughout the region powered by donations of clothing and household items. Goodwill NYNJ translates those donations into workforce development services for people with disabilities and the unemployed, and job training leading to employment. Goodwill NYNJ’s services build better lives for thousands of New York City Metropolitan Area residents and their families. For more than 108 years, the agency’s mission has been to empower individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment to gain independence through the power of work. Learn more about Goodwill NYNJ at http://www.goodwillnynj.org; follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillNYNJ; and find us on Facebook or Instagram @GoodwillNYNJ.

Contact: Jose Medellin | [email protected] | (646) 238-9133 mobile

SOURCE Goodwill NYNJ