Coldwater Creek, a nationwide women’s apparel company with a store at Wayside Commons in Burlington, brought a fashion show to the Lexington retirement community. The staff arranged chairs in a U shape, allowing the models to strut their stuff in front of their friends, family, and co-workers.

“We called Coldwater Creek in the fall to see if they would come in and spice things up,” said Claudia Wilson, Youville Place’s resident services director. “It’s something very different for them, and that’s a good thing. It’s exciting, and it brings everybody together.” 

The ladies showed off their threads to classical piano music, strolling casually at a pace slightly different than seen in Paris and Milan. Residents and staff members went to the Burlington store earlier in the month to pick out their outfits, one casual and one formal.

“It’s a lovely, lovely place with lovely material, and the staff was just great,” said Helen Wickens, a Youville Place resident that modeled for the show. “They allowed us to pick out whatever we wanted.”

Sheila Wissenbach volunteers at Youville Place two days a week, and was one of the three staffers that joined the fun on the runway. She said the magic word for her to join was “jewelry.”

“When they said jewelry, I was right in there,” Wissenbach said. “It was my first time [modeling], but I love clothes and I love jewelry. It was fun.”

Wissenbach and Wickens said they weren’t nervous because of the people they were modeling for are always supportive.

“I feel at home here,” said Wickens. “I’ve never [modeled], but I was relaxed.”

Audrey Elliott-Aldo, the Burlington Coldwater Creek store’s event coordinator, said that she and her assistant Gina McCart plan at least 10 fashion shows a year. Some raise money for schools or charities, like the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer, but she enjoys coming to assisted living facilities to work with the residents.

“It really gives them a boost,” said Elliott-Aldo.

She said that Coldwater Creek was started by a husband-and-wife team in Idaho 24 years ago as a catalog company, but now has 275 stores nationwide.

“It’s a great company to work for,” she said. 

Youville Place is a non-profit, mission-based assisted living facility that is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, or the “Grey Nuns.”