By Mark Price
msprice@charlotteobserver.com

Alexander West is 6 feet, 4 inches, 275 pounds, and has spent time living on the streets.

So no one at the Harvest Center argued Thursday morning when the 42-year-old refused to wear makeup.

The issue came up, quite sensibly, during one of Charlotte's most unique charity events: a fashion show featuring formerly homeless addicts as the models.

All 10 are part of the Harvest Center's drug- and alcohol-intervention program.

"These people obviously see something in me that I don't see in myself," West said, as he nervously watched other models get hair and makeup done.

"The way I see it: If I can put a suit on and walk down that aisle in front of a room full of people, I can do anything. I can finish CPCC, get my degree and change my life."

Thursday marked the fourth year the center has staged a fashion show as part of its volunteer appreciation luncheon.

The center is north of uptown and is best known for running a soup kitchen. Yet it prides itself on having all the trappings of high fashion, but none of the costs.

All clothing comes courtesy of donated Belk gift certificates. Hair is done for free by Blossom Hair Boutique, and makeup artist Joseph Huguenin of Durham does the faces at no charge.

The stylists were recruited by former model Pamela Lovett, who added the final touch by teaching the catwalk strut: Chest out, head up, arms relaxed and NO waving, because this is "not a pageant."

"I believe inside every female is a princess and inside every man is a prince," said Lovett, who spent a decade doing print and runway work. "This is about making them feel that way for a day."

That's what the center's Rosa Marion had in mind when she came up with the idea. It started, she said, when the staff took a recovering addict shopping to buy matching undergarments, and learned it was a first for her.

"She started telling stories about the sexual abuse she'd been through in her life, and they had to close the store down, because everybody got emotional and cried," Marion recalled. "We decided to have a fashion show for her, and saw that it had the power to pull the best out of people."

That's what happened repeatedly in the stylist room Thursday. Hardened faces softened, grimaces became smiles, and folded arms opened for hugs.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God," said Bessie Seagrove, as she stared in the mirror at her makeup. "I can't stop looking. I'm 60 years old, but I'm not sure how old I feel right now."

Perhaps the biggest transformation came late in the morning, when women had cleared the stylist room, and Alexander West slipped in.

He decided that maybe, just maybe, this was a day to try new things. Even a little makeup to take off the shine.
 

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