College of Human Ecology adviser Doris Wiehe wanted to buy a coat for her daughter-in-law.
She found one Thursday at an unlikely place: the St. Paul Student Center.
The long blue coat she bought for $3 was one of the items for sale at the Clothing Design Club’s second annual Silent Auction.
“Hey, you can’t buy the fabric for this coat for $3,” Wiehe said. “It’s a deal.”
The auction, which was held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Minnesota Commons Room, was organized by the club to raise money for the Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel’s 31st annual Clothing Design Show.
The event featured items for sale and some up for bid. The bidding was done by patrons throughout the day by signing their names and a dollar amount on a sheet of paper next to the item. Items had varying starting bids that had to be increased by at least $1.
All items included in the auction were either made by members of the club or donated by local businesses.
Susanne Leighton, treasurer of the club and a senior in design, auctioned off a hand-painted silk scarf she had made. The scarf, which featured brightly colored dragon flies, had received a $50 bid.
Wiehe said she lost to another bidder last year, so she came later in the day Thursday to bid on some vintage scarves. “I’m using some strategy this year,” she said.
Other items up for bid were handmade pillows, gift certificates for Dayton’s, jewelry and compact discs. The clothes for sale included shirts, dresses, coats, and fleece activewear for dogs.
“Last year’s auction was very successful and that’s why they wanted to do it again,” said Elizabeth Bye, one of the club’s advisers.
Leighton said the group made about $500 at last year’s auction, but she hoped to top that with Thursday’s event.
The club also sold candy bars at the auction to bring in some extra cash. Theresa Winge, the club’s president, said they will also raffle off tickets to the show and sell cookbooks, baked goods and clothing to raise additional funds.
All the money raised from the auction will go toward the design show, which will feature the original fashion creations of all the seniors in the department. Leighton, who is among the 11 seniors designing for this year’s May 9 show, will display the line of evening wear she has worked on all year.
This year’s show will also include an exhibit at the Paul Whitney Larson Gallery. The exhibit will display items, such as clothing patterns, sketches and computer-aided designs to present the background that goes into the fashion show.
“These students on their own put on the fashion show every year, from choosing the music to getting the models and of course making the clothes,” Wiehe said as she bought one of the candy bars.
“It’s definitely a good cause.”