Designing Women of Rye Shop for A Cause

The Rye Arts Center hosted the 6th annual Designing Women of Rye & Beyond fundraiser Tuesday to raise money for scholarships for Rye students.

A host of vendors from the tri-state area, selling items ranging from clothing, vintage jewelry, beach cover-ups and other goods at the event, donated a portion of their sales to the Art Center's scholarship fund.

Attendees at the event could choose from varied merchandise.

Harriet Zbikowski, the owner of Foxgloves, sold gardening gloves, so "the professional Rye woman won't spend two hours Sunday night scrubbing her nails after a weekend of gardening," she said.  

The most unique products, agreed co-chairs Susanne D'Ariano and Hélène Byrnes, were the personalized cutting boards from Soundview Millworks, sold by Darien resident Grant Tankoos. The customized wooden boards "are unique, and work for events like birthdays, weddings and anniversaries" Tankoos said.

Carrie Fishman attracted a wide variety of customers to her booth, with antique and vintage jewelry for women, cufflinks and vintage college memorabilia (such as framed crests of Harvard, Yale and Columbia) to appeal to Rye customers "who are focused on kids and colleges."

Fishman lauded the event because she said it "attracts people looking to buy."

White Plains resident Joan Jones was one such customer. By the time she was interviewed, around noon, Joan had already selected a scarf and necklace to purchase.

"Beautiful merchandise," Jones said, before being lured away by one of Kathy Fish's Nantucket sweaters.

Even vendors became buyers.

"I have my eye on a pair of earrings over there," said Jennifer Santelli, from her own booth, which displayed beach cover-ups and bags, belts and hair accessories of her and Liana Ljubicich's business Belle Cose.

"I haven't bought them yet, but I will." 

The focus of both buyers and sellers was community. The event provides college scholarships to Rye High School students who demonstrate both financial need and a record of service and involvement in the Rye community.

The fundraiser also provides scholarships to the Rye Arts Center, which in the past, Byrnes said, allowed one Rye student to take four years of private violin lessons and go on to play the violin in college. 

Although the cause is local, Susanne D'Ariano and Helene Byrnes, who have co-chaired the event for all four years it has been at the Rye Arts Center, travel to events in Manhattan and Connecticut to choose vendors.

"And we've got the bills to prove it!" D'Ariano joked. 

To maximize profits and charitable donations, D'Ariano and Byrnes spend months searching for new and interesting vendors, and invite the top-earning vendors back each year.

To get involved with next year's Designing Women event, please contact Hélène Byrnes at: HLByrnes@aol.com.