Vibe Check: Overdress to Impress
Our recap of the party, the fundraiser's worthy beneficiary, and the most unhinged happenings from our fourth annual fashion fiesta.
“Overdress to Impress: the only event where overdressing is mandatory, emotional stability is optional, and subtlety is strictly prohibited.”
—Zac Denham
When I walked in the back door of Panza’s the morning after Overdress to Impress to break down our red carpet backdrop, Chef Dan Wigginton raised his eyebrows at me and chuckled. “You guys had fun last night,” he said.
As I made my way from the kitchen into the dining room, I saw what he meant. The floor was littered with straws, napkins, glitter, and feathers—a clear sign of a good time. (To find out what unhinged items attendees left behind after the party, keep reading.)
Of course, this was to be expected. In the last three years, Overdress to Impress has grown from a one-off magazine issue release party into a beloved annual event at which women (it’s usually 90 percent women) can let their hair down and flaunt what they’ve got.
“This event is the epitome of look good feel good,” Tommie Burch wrote in an Instagram post. “The energy of everyone just cheering each other the f on is where it’s AT 🔥”
Madison Reuter, who was interviewing attendees on the red carpet and beyond, concurs. “There was so much support for other people’s looks, and just an excitement for getting to see fashion come to life in a new way that you don’t get to see in Saratoga,” she told me after the party. “So many people mentioned how they want more of this energy year round.”
Indeed, the energy was unmatched. Guests arrived in the Panza’s lobby to find the red carpet (the early-April weather wasn’t exactly conducive to al fresco photo ops), along with complimentary glasses of bubbly, courtesy of Bocage Champagne Bar. Upstairs, attendees were met with signature cocktails by Curamia Tequila, passed hors d’oeuvres by Panza’s, giveaways by Grit + Grace, and music by DJ PR3Z, who, having never been to Overdress to Impress before, performed like DJing amateur fashion shows was his day job.
Before the runway show commenced, I turned the mic over to Maggie Fronk, executive director of Wellspring, who told the crowd to look around at the women in the room. One in four women, she said, will experience violence by their intimate partner at some point during their lifetimes. For more than 40 years, Wellspring has been supporting survivors of relationship and sexual abuse through counseling, emergency shelter, financial education, and so many more vitally important programs. Thanks to proceeds from Overdress to Impress, Saratoga Living is proud to donate $10,000 to Wellspring’s worthy cause. (If you’re interested in supporting Wellspring’s mission, click here.)
Zac Denham—co-owner of Bocage and Standard Fare, patron saint of Overdress to Impress, and self-described “knock-off Tim Gunn with a big mouth and zero credentials”—took it from there.
“Tonight,” he said, “we gather for one reason and one reason only: to get absolutely unhinged in the name of fashion. There are no rules. There is no subtlety. And if you’re not slightly uncomfortable in your outfit, you’re doing it wrong.”
To see all the looks that walked this year’s runway, watch the video at the top of the page, or stay tuned for a complete photo gallery, coming soon. For our list of the most unhinged happenings of the evening and its aftermath (OK, maybe not the most unhinged), read on:
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