If there is one thing small business owner Dalida “Dado” Atallah has become known for, it’s creating and hosting a premier Rochester fashion event: the Dado Boutique fashion show.
Since 2009, Dado Boutique has hosted two annual shows, one in the spring and one in the fall. The very first show began as a free fundraiser and has grown into last year’s smashing success, a ticketed event with 700 attendees paying $25 to $150 for admission. Some people attend for the love of fashion, and others attend to support the cause. Some just want a great night out, others go to “see and be seen.”
Next Tuesday, May 6, in her unpredictable style, Atallah will create a completely different atmosphere with her Dado Spring 2014 Fashion Show. She’s trading the catwalk pomp for an intimate fundraising event, including dinner and drinks at Restaurant Good Luck. Models, as usual, will be actual customers of Dado Boutique. “There was never anyone else in mind but our customers,” says Atallah of the casting decision. “That’s who keeps our doors open, that’s who supports us.”
The Dado shopper falls into a demographic of women primarily in their thirties and forties. Atallah prides herself in offering current, trendy pieces for Rochester women of any age who want to be able to travel to any city in the country and still be fashionable (readers of 585 magazine may recognize Dado pieces featured often in the What2Where section).
As for her spring trend prediction, Atallah says prints are in—and inescapable. “If you don’t love print, at least get to like it a little bit,” she says. “It’s not going anywhere.”
Limited tickets remain for the May 6 show. To inquire, contact Dado Boutique, 271-7890. The cost is $200 per person and 100 percent of all ticket proceeds will benefit the Wilmot Cancer Center, part of the University of Rochester’s Medical Center.
—Andrea Bonawitz is a stylist and image consultant. For more about her work, visit andreabonawitzstyling.com.
