With rainy conditions curtailing outdoor activities last weekend, it was a great excuse for even more folks to turn out for the 23rd annual Saint Edward’s Trunk Show, hosted by the St. Edward’s Parents Association.
The show’s popularity is in large part due to the hard-working committee, this year led by Amy Diaz and her co-chair Angela Nelson, who draw upon vendors from all over the country, seeking out one-of-a-kind items not generally found locally.
“Vendors are all from out of the area,” said Monica Jennings, director of communications and marketing. “That’s what makes it so unique and special.”
“This year there are 52 vendors; 10 are new,” said Amy Diaz. “Our rule is a 50-mile radius out of Vero Beach so we don’t complete with our local merchants. Vendors come from as far away as San Francisco, Maine, Chicago.”
The success of the show has vendors quickly reapplying at the end of the weekend for the following year.
“By the end of the summer we have an idea of who’s coming back,” said Diaz. “Then we start looking at applications to research and pick the right new ones. We try to have different types and styles of merchandise.”
The weekend kicked off with a Friday evening preview party, an increasingly popular option for savvy shoppers who appreciate the opportunity to spend a little more time with vendors minus the crush of the crowd. A festive mood carried throughout the evening, as attendees enjoyed perusing the various items in a leisurely fashion, and taking occasional breaks to enjoy wine and catered goodies from Chelsea’s on Cardinal.
During the preview party, many of the husbands relaxed in the men’s cocktail lounge, while their wives poured over items which included boutique clothing for men, women and children; hand-crafted and estate jewelry, fashion accessories, home décor, flowers, children’s games, and more.
“This is fabulous,” said Julie Otto. “I’ve never done the preview before; it’s such a pleasant experience. I’ve come here on the weekends and I couldn’t even move. This way you see the beauty of everything and you get to interact with the designer. It really is a special way of doing it.”
One of the unique items, Amy Fazackerley’s Lay-n-Go, actually had its debut at the 2012 Trunk Show. Fazackerly lives in Virginia, but her mother Debbie Sheridan lives in Orchid Island and recognized the show as an ideal spot to preview the product. The response to her “mat, cleanup, carryall, and storage solution,” was so positive they have since expanded the product line to include multiple sizes, applications and colors.
The Trunk Show is the Parents Association’s largest annual fundraising event, generating roughly $85,000, which is spread across all the various divisions of St. Edward’s School.
