Jody Claman knows how to make the fur fly.
Habitat for Humanity Thunder Bay’s Diane Mitchell is hoping the controversial star of the hit show Real Housewives of Vancouver can bring a little of that pizzazz to Shoes and Champagne 2 fundraiser, scheduled for Bight Restaurant and Mariner Hall on June 20.
Mitchell, a huge fan of the second-year series, said keeping Claman’s participation a secret for the past two months hasn’t been easy.
“It was really hard not to say she was coming,” said Mitchell on Friday, bursting with joy at landing a celebrity hostess she thinks fits perfectly with the upscale event.
There really was no other choice, Mitchell added. Claman is the owner of a high-end Vancouver clothing boutique, albeit one vandalized allegedly for selling fur.
“I just absolutely love the shoes that she wears and clothes that she wears, and she’s a little bit controversial,” Mitchell said.
“So she’ll bring some spice to the event that we may not have otherwise had.”
Claman joined Friday’s launch, held at the Water Garden Pavilion at Marina Park, via Skype.
She said she’s excited for visit Thunder Bay for the first time and help out a worthy cause at the same time.
“I love fashion, I love people and I want to be able to resonate with your community and raise awareness,” Claman said.
The revamped Shoes and Champagne event, first held in 2010, will see a few changes. First and foremost 50 attendees will be able to pay a $25 premium for an hour-long meet-and-greet with Claman.
The second change is the designer shoes, the centrepiece of the event, won’t be one-size only like the inaugural event. Instead successful bidders will be given gift certificates they can use to purchase the shoes directly from the designers, who include Jimmy Choo, Prada and Michael Kors.
There will also be celebrity shoes up for bid, including ones autographed by Taylor Swift and the Trudeau family, Canada’s first family of politics.
Tickets are $75 each and can be purchased at Habitat for Humanity’s Restore outlet, by phoning 345-5520 or online at www.habitattbay.com.
