Pre-sale Tickets Available NOW!
The Decorative Arts Center of Ohio will once again host an evening of fashion and philanthropy that will celebrate how the arts enrich the human experience through passion and imagination.
The event will include signature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and music by Lancaster’s very own, The Steve Cox Jazz Quartet. A stunning fashion show will feature couture by five Ohio-based designers: Casey Immel-Brown, Esther Sands, Logan Baldauf, Chawis Saelim and Mya Staten. “We have a wonderful, diverse group of designers in the runway show,” DACO Gala Producer Celeste Malvar-Stewart said. “DJ Pastel will provide a vibrant ambiance as the models walk the runway, and afterward, we’ll offer cocktails, desserts and a special opportunity to meet the designers and models in the parlors.”
Lancaster’s Gay Fad Studios is also partnering with DACO to create limited edition collectable glassware sold at the Gala. Gay Fad Studios is presenting the nation’s first event dedicated to the celebration of midcentury barware culture, Bottoms Up, June 21-23. Owners Jason Annecy and David Annecy say the independent designers’ pieces will serve as inspiration for the design of the exclusive glassware, which also will complement the upcoming Mod: Visual, Social, Cultural Renaissance of the 1960s exhibition that opens at DACO on June 1.
DACO Gala Co-Chair Lisa Wells says the fashion show highlights the many partnerships DACO has built within the community. “It has been such a pleasure to see DACO’s evolution as not only a beautiful location for amazing art exhibitions and art education for all ages, but also for the promotion of artistic creation in all of its many forms,” she said.
The DACO Gala is an important fundraiser to support arts education and community partnerships that benefit students of all ages and abilities. “The arts are a way to bring people together socially and allow people to express themselves creatively, all contributing to our mental and social wellbeing,” Gala Co-Chair Sarah Claypool said.
The event will include signature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and music by Lancaster’s very own, The Steve Cox Jazz Quartet. A stunning fashion show will feature couture by five Ohio-based designers: Casey Immel-Brown, Esther Sands, Logan Baldauf, Chawis Saelim and Mya Staten. “We have a wonderful, diverse group of designers in the runway show,” DACO Gala Producer Celeste Malvar-Stewart said. “DJ Pastel will provide a vibrant ambiance as the models walk the runway, and afterward, we’ll offer cocktails, desserts and a special opportunity to meet the designers and models in the parlors.”
Lancaster’s Gay Fad Studios is also partnering with DACO to create limited edition collectable glassware sold at the Gala. Gay Fad Studios is presenting the nation’s first event dedicated to the celebration of midcentury barware culture, Bottoms Up, June 21-23. Owners Jason Annecy and David Annecy say the independent designers’ pieces will serve as inspiration for the design of the exclusive glassware, which also will complement the upcoming Mod: Visual, Social, Cultural Renaissance of the 1960s exhibition that opens at DACO on June 1.
DACO Gala Co-Chair Lisa Wells says the fashion show highlights the many partnerships DACO has built within the community. “It has been such a pleasure to see DACO’s evolution as not only a beautiful location for amazing art exhibitions and art education for all ages, but also for the promotion of artistic creation in all of its many forms,” she said.
The DACO Gala is an important fundraiser to support arts education and community partnerships that benefit students of all ages and abilities. “The arts are a way to bring people together socially and allow people to express themselves creatively, all contributing to our mental and social wellbeing,” Gala Co-Chair Sarah Claypool said.
TICKET INFO
April 17: General ticket pre-sale access ($100 tickets / $150 VIP)
May 1: General ticket full price sales begin ($125 tickets / $175 VIP)
**General Admission Ticket: General Seating, 1 Drink Ticket
**VIP Admission Ticket: Front Row Seating, 1 Drink Ticket, 1 Gay Fad Limited Glassware, Early Access
May 1: General ticket full price sales begin ($125 tickets / $175 VIP)
**General Admission Ticket: General Seating, 1 Drink Ticket
**VIP Admission Ticket: Front Row Seating, 1 Drink Ticket, 1 Gay Fad Limited Glassware, Early Access
Meet the 2024 DACO Gala Designers
Casey Immel-Brown is a fashion designer based in Columbus, Ohio whose work has been featured in print, runway, television and gallery shows. Utilizing classic couture and tailoring techniques, he focuses on creating pieces which convey a subversive, transgressive form of elegance.
The goal of his clothing is to allow the wearer to use fashion as a tool for self-actualization, and to navigate the world feeling like the truest version of themselves. To this end, his design philosophy revolves around bringing to the fore the elements of our internal lives that we are traditionally taught to suppress in most contexts. Having begun his design career by founding Mater Dolorosa, a brand focused on wearable luxury leather accessories, his expertise in leatherwork has also carried over into his eponymous clothing line. Many of Casey's pieces incorporate wet-molding and traditional saddlery techniques to allow entire outfits to be created from tougher, more durable varieties of tooling leather which are otherwise rarely used in clothing manufacture. His collections often leverage his formal training in jewelry design, both in the inclusion of handmade accessories, and in garments which feature custom closures and elaborate metal and stone details. |
Chawis Saelim was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, moving to Columbus, OH in 2012. He is a skilled pattern-maker and tailor, and holds a BFA in Fashion Design from Columbus College of Art and Design. Having initially focused on fine art and photography, Chawis took up fashion design out of the desire to create clothing which conveys a deep sense of feeling and emotion.
Along with fellow artist and designer Logan Baldauf, he curated the 2023 show “After the Flesh”, combining art, fashion and photography into a single gallery experience. Taking influence from Japanese fashion designers, he sees the extraordinary in imperfection and deconstruction. His work incorporates the methodologies and aesthetic perspectives of cubism and expressionist art, often reducing garment designs down to their base shapes and geometric forms. As an artist, Chawis strives to always push himself to greater heights, continually innovating while staying true to his artistic vision. |
Esther Abena Sands is a Ghanaian American designer. Early exposure to diverse cultures in film and art as a child helped shape a love of stories and fashion. As her passion and curiosity for learning grew, she became self-taught through observation, experimentation and practice. As an adolescent, she would sit in the market, watching cobblers and seamstresses work and craft.
After relocating to the United States as a teen, Esther became exposed to the creative aesthetics of cosplay. A way to bring stories from movies, anime and video games to life through character interpretation. Her work is filled with cultural, traditional, movie and anime inspirations. She believes we are all heroes of our own cinematic universes and what we wear everyday is an interpretation of where we’ve been, where we are, where we are going and of our life experiences. Clothing can be a representation of self and of individuality. |
Logan Baldauf is a designer originally from West Virginia who moved to Columbus to study fashion and experience the expanding art scene.
In the last few years he has bridged the gap in his mediums to develop a style that showcases all aspects of his love for art and fashion design alike, with references and research coming from both fields interchangeably. In 2023 he co-collaborated an exhibition with Chawis Saelim to showcase their shared ideas on art and fashion through a display of photography, clothing, and illustrations. |
Mya Lucille Staten, born in 2001 in Lancaster, Ohio, is a rising designer who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Columbus College of Art & Design.
Mya's upbringing in Sugar Grove, a small town, fueled her desire to explore new things. Her interest in fashion grew significantly once she began experimenting with beading. Finding a unique and inventive approach to elevate beading to the next level and to challenge the “norm” . Mya really enjoys the contrast of textiles and acrylic beads allowing for something beautiful to unravel. |
Thank you to all of our sponsors!
We are grateful to all the sponsors of the 2024 DACO Gala. These sponsors not only allow us to put on this fantastic event, but will also help support our arts education programming and community partnerships for students of all ages and abilities, our world-class exhibition program, and long-term investment in the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact Jason Crabill at 740-681-1423 or crabill@decartsohio.org
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact Jason Crabill at 740-681-1423 or crabill@decartsohio.org