In the market for a formal gown, but can’t afford to spend big bucks for a designer dress?
Then head over to the Tire Warehouse, 250 N. Park Blvd. (southeast corner M-24 and Church Street) in Lake Orion, this weekend for a special gown sale.
More than 2,000 gorgeous gowns by New York designer Bill Levkoff will be sold for $50 each on Saturday, Nov. 10 from 4-8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 11 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
‘They’re all brand new gowns with tags,? said Karen Burkeen, owner of iSold It, located at 975 S. Lapeer Rd. in Oxford Township. ‘There’s a wide variety of styles and sizes.?
Proceeds from the two-day sale will be split 50/50 between Kingsbury Country Day School in Addison Township and the Lapeer County 4-H.
Approximately 2,200 gowns, perfect for everything from proms and bridal parties to evening wear, will be available, according to Burkeen, who’s coordinating the sale because her two children ? Connor and Kyra ? attend Kingsbury.
‘If we can’t display all 2,200 (gowns) at once, we’ll display what we can and then restock throughout the day,? she said.
Levkoff has been designing formal wear for more than 60 years. Described as simple and modern, his designs come in a huge array of colors and sizes.
A majority of the gowns are still wrapped in plastic and packed in boxes, but judging by what’s she’s seen, Burkeen said the selection is tremendous.
‘We’ve probably seen at least 50 different styles so far in a pretty wide range of sizes,? she said.
A mere $50 per gown is practically a steal considering how much they originally retailed for.
‘The prices on most of the gowns are anywhere from $200 to $350,? according to Burkeen.
Levkoff originally donated nearly 5,000 gowns to Lapeer County 4-H, which sold them for two weekends in September at the Michigan National Guard’s Lapeer Armory.
‘They just had so many,? Burkeen said.
Despite selling like hotcakes in Lapeer, 4-H still had thousands of gowns left over, so a representative contacted iSold It about selling them on eBay.
‘They were selling (on-line), but they weren’t doing fantastic,? said Burkeen, who suggested holding a dress sale in this area to benefit both Kingsbury and 4-H.
Volunteers from the Kingsbury community will be conducting the sale this weekend.
Burkeen was amazed by the reaction she got when she put on an e-mail soliciting volunteers.
‘I couldn’t believe the overwhelming response we had from people offering to help,? she said.
For more information about the sale contact Karen Burkeen at (248)628-3544.