Fundraiser Fashion Show: A Benefit for Avery Latham This Sunday, fashion lovers of all stripes are called to attend a benefit fashion show to raise money for the daughter of recently deceased Omahan, Jessica Latham. A longtime fashion supporter, Latham owned Bellwether Boutique, an Old Market shop that carried everything from vintage clothing to couture gowns by hometown designers. With Latham in mind, designer and event organizer Buf Reynolds felt it fitting that a benefit for the educational fund of Latham’s daughter would revolve around what seemed to bring her the most joy: fashion. “Jessica pushed a lot of designers to get out there,” says Reynolds. “She was a driving force and there were not a lot of options for local designers to showcase their work before she came around.” And Reynolds wasn’t the only designer who felt Latham’s impact, “[Jessica] had a big hand in developing Omaha’s fashion scene,” Autopilot Art designer Alexia Thiele says. “She was hands-on with the shows, carried goods in the store and also made sure to mention designers not only to her customers but to local media when she was interviewed.” Fundraiser Fashion Show: A Benefit for Avery Latham will take place at Omaha’s Nomad Lounge, which is contributing to and helping coordinate the event. Beginning at 7 p.m., attendees can sip cocktails while participating in a silent auction of original clothing, photography and art, among other goods donated to the cause by individuals whose lives Latham touched. Many of the donated photographs were taken by Minorwhite Studios’ Chris Machian during past Omaha Fashion Weeks and were on display in Bellwether Boutique. Shoppers could purchase the locally designed clothing displayed in the photos and the photos themselves. At 8 p.m. the fashion show will begin, which will showcase the works of 12 local designers. They include Fella, Dale Heise, Itchy by Claire Landolt, Spano Lang, Radioactive Heart by Jennie Mason, Ellene McClay, Jennifer Pool, Buf Reynolds, Dan Richters, Jane Round, Autopilot Art by Alexia Thiele and Just Because by Kate Walz. Many of the designers and models worked with Jessica, participating in everything from photo shoots to the fashion shows she often organized in her shop. With the enormous impact she made on fashion lovers young and old, Latham’s legacy will live in Omaha for a long time. “What [Jessica] did was help build a fashion community in Omaha,” says Thiele. “She was able to bring designers together like no one else. That was her greatest impact.” Fundraiser Fashion Show: A Benefit for Avery Latham is Sunday, Oct. 24, 7-10 p.m. at Nomad Lounge, 1013 Jones St. Suggested donation of $5 at the door with all proceeds going directly to the Avery Latham College Fund. Contributions may also be sent to American National Bank, 1314 Galvin Rd., Bellevue, NE 68005.