"Find Your HOCO Dress | A Curated Shopping Experience"
at Dear Garment House — By Appointment Only

Saturday, August 7

By Appointment Only | 1217 Grandview Avenue, Grandview Heights, Columbus, OH

✨ Going to Homecoming? We have your dress — and a story to go with it.

This is not a rack of random dresses. This is a curated archive — built over decades by a woman who has loved beautiful garments her entire life.

Our founder began collecting at age 12, growing up in the electric megacity of São Paulo, Brazil, where fashion was everywhere and beauty was a language anyone could speak. She carried that eye — and that love — across decades and continents, curating pieces during her years managing iconic brands like Nordstrom and Swarovski, scouring estate sales and thrift stores with the discernment of someone who knows what she's looking for, and building an archive that has waited, patiently, for the right fashion lover to walk through the door.

In recent years, we've deepened that collection through partnerships with fellow nonprofits like Fairy Godmother, who donate garments in need of care. Those pieces don't go to a landfill. They come to us — where our dear volunteers wash them, steam them, iron them, reattach beads, replace buttons, re-hook eyes, and breathe life back into something beautiful. Many of these volunteers learned hand-sewing and beading as children. Pouring that craft into a garment again — in community, side by side — creates something that can't be manufactured: friendship, joy, and purpose.

Every gown on our rack carries that love forward.

How to book your appointment:

📩 Email shop@fashioncommunity.org by March with:

Appointment Date and time preferences. We will email back with date and time slot confirmation.
Photos of looks you love (real yours or inspirational)
Your style and vibe (any description, bullet points, anything you want to share)
The special occasion and feel you're going for
Your size or fit preferences (just for reference)

We'll curate a selection with you in mind before you arrive.

💛 A note on our booking fee:
Your reservation fee is non-refundable and is treated as a donation to our mission — whether you find your dream gown or not. By booking, you're agreeing to make that donation and support the work we do. We are grateful for your intentionality and your trust.

👗 In-house alterations available.
Found the one — but it needs to be taken in or hemmed? We've got you. Our in-house alterations team can assess the piece right here, so your dream dress can actually become your dress. Alterations fees vary based on required service.

Why shop with us?
You're not feeding the fast fashion machine. You're connecting to a garment with a real story, held by real hands, and sent forward with love. Every dollar from your purchase supports sustainable fashion education for kids and workforce development in the creative economy of Central Ohio.

We're not just fighting fashion waste. We're building community around it.

📅 Set your appointment today.
Slots are limited. October is your window to send your wish list.

shop@fashioncommunity.org

Dear Garment House | 1217 Grandview Avenue, Grandview Heights, Columbus, OH
Fashion is our medium. Transformation is the mission.

Find Your HOCO Dress, A Curated Shopping Experience