Modeling through the generations

• Models

Women modeled clothing from yesteryear Friday at Stonecrest as part of a fashion show aimed at showcasing history. Staff photo by Ian W. Taylor Jr.

Talk about it

Stonecrest Senior Living Center residents tried out a new role last week: being models.

But the models were not wearing today’s styles at a fashion show held Friday, June 24, at Stonecrest. They were modeling clothing from the past that they had carefully preserved, some dating back 100 years.

“When these clothes were popular, that was our time,” said Bob Brunken, who modeled during the show.

The Stonecrest Memory Lane Style show began with Brunken serenading the audience to the tune of “Memories.”

The style show was a display of the clothing Stonecrest residents had saved for decades, and now used to share their stories with each other and members of a younger generation.

The event’s emcee and creator, Emily Wolterstorff, read descriptions of the clothing during the event. She said she created the event to express the joy and importance of history with her community.

“I just wanted to tell the history, I love history”, she said.

She also believes it’s important to share memories with others, said Wolterstorff, a member of the Woodbury Heritage Society.

The Woodbury resident said she was inspired with the idea of a style show after looking at the clothes she had held from the past and recognizing that many of the residents in Stonecrest had preserved clothing they owned as well. She saw sharing the clothing in a style show as an excellent opportunity to share history in an exciting way.

Wolterstorff spent months organizing the event and received assistance from Nicole Achterling, recreational director at Stonecrest Senior Living.

“I knew this was important and wanted to help,” Achterling said.

Achterling’s favorite aspect of the event was helping the residents realize their dreams.

The show was not simply a celebration of clothing from the past; it also took a brief gaze into the future. Sisters Alli and Erin Dawiedczyk wore clothing representing the 2000s.

Both girls described the style show as a “fun experience” and were glad that they were not representing the 80s and 90s, saying they did not like the styles of those decades.

Their mother, Kathie Dawiedczyk, expressed joy in the entire process. The sisters and their mother have been volunteering at Stonecrest for almost one year.

“The (residents) here are very welcoming and nice people. I felt a sense of family,” Dawiedczyk said.

Tags: news, lifestyle, entertainment