Great fashion. Great food. Local celebrities. Shopping, laughter and a night out with your favorite women.
Lisa Barnes calls Fashion for a Future 2026 “the ultimate girls’ night out.” But behind the fun is something much bigger: an evening dedicated to, “Celebrating Courage. Creating Opportunity.”
On October 22, the Goei Center will come alive with a strolling dinner, drinks, raffle prizes, a silent auction, and a runway show featuring fashions from West Michigan boutiques The James and Roman James.
Celebrity models—including FOX 17’s Janice Allen, Lisa Barnes and Deb from The James and Roman James—will take the runway alongside women whose lives have been impacted by HOPE for Single Moms. Their looks will be coordinated by Michelle Krick of Michelle Krick Style, bringing her signature eye for personal style to the evening.
CELEBRATE COURAGE
The Walk of HOPE puts the spotlight on the women at the heart of the evening—single mothers who have pursued college degrees, completed workforce training, launched businesses, and built new careers while raising their children.
Their walk is a celebration of courage: the courage to go back to school, learn a new skill, take a risk, and believe a different future is possible.
And their stories continue beyond the runway.
Guests can visit tables hosted by HOPE graduate entrepreneurs, meet the women behind their new businesses, and learn how support from their community helped give them the courage—and opportunity—to take the leap into entrepreneurship.
CREATE OPPORTUNITY
Then it’s our turn.
Every donation, raffle ticket purchased, winning silent auction bid, and gift made during the Fund Her Future live giving experience helps create opportunity for more West Michigan women.
Those dollars help remove the real-life barriers that can stand between a single mother and economic independence—providing support for education, workforce training, transportation, career preparation, and the transition into employment.
That’s what makes Fashion for a Future more than a fashion show! It’s a night to dress up, gather your girlfriends, enjoy great food, discover local fashion, and cheer loudly for some remarkable West Michigan women.
Come celebrate their courage. Then create opportunity for the women who come next.
Fashion for a Future 2026
October 22, 2026 | 6–9 p.m.
Goei Center, Grand Rapids
Tickets: $100
Purchase tickets, donate, and learn more.
Written by Dr. Carla Ludwig, Founder and Executive Director of HOPE for Single Moms.
Courtesy of Hope for Single Moms.
Photos courtesy of Inspired Media, 2024 and Beloved Photography.