Listen, y’all… we’ve seen some things in Blount County. County commission meetings that go three hours too long. Traffic on 321 on a Saturday afternoon. A Kroger parking lot during the holidays. But nothing, nothing, quite prepares you for a woman strutting a runway in a dress made from literal coffin materials while the crowd loses its ever-loving mind.
Welcome to Construction Couture. And honey, it did not disappoint.
On April 30th, the Blount County Habitat for Humanity hosted their 7th Annual Construction Couture at the Airport Hilton in Alcoa, and if you weren’t there, first of all… why? Second of all, let us catch you up.
The concept is simple and completely unhinged in the best possible way: teams from across the community design and model fashion made almost entirely from construction materials. Just caution tape, PVC pipe, insulation foam, orange fencing, and what we can only assume is a healthy dose of creative chaos and team spirit.
Guests enjoyed lunch and a full-runway fashion show while competing teams vied for the most coveted prize in East Tennessee couture: the Golden Stiletto.
Presenting sponsors DENSO, ICC International, and the Rotary Club of Maryville helped make the whole shindig happen. The judges tasked with keeping straight faces while evaluating couture made of construction debris were Pinkie Mistry (renowned local artist, pinkiemistry.com), Tom Leonard (former owner of the legendary Boyd Thomas Clothiers), and Grace Galyon (former Golden Stiletto winner). Hosts Lori Tucker and Bo Williams of WATE TV kept the energy high and the show moving, which, given what they were working with, was probably not hard.
Six teams took to the runway, and every single one brought something. Here’s the rundown:
Jen Price’s Team sent out a winged creation that had the whole room looking twice. Big dramatic wings, bold presence, the kind of look that says “I spent my weekends on this and I regret nothing.”
Mane Attraction came through with a showstopper that featured a hula hoop skirt made entirely of construction scraps. One hand raised to the sky, full energy, full commitment. We stan.
Team Rotary (Rotary Club of Maryville) went floral, because of course they did, bless their hearts, and apparently the people loved it. More on that in a minute.
Smith Life and Legacy Funeral Home, yes, a funeral home, walked out in a gown constructed from both home building materials AND coffin materials, modeled by their own embalmer, Scotti Thompson. Was it slightly unnerving? Yes. Was it brilliant? Absolutely yes. The judges sure thought so.
Team WATE delivered pure entertainment. Weathermen Lightning Matt (Storm Team 6) and Thunder Theo showed up in full superhero regalia: face paint, wigs, metallic capes, and championship belt buckles with their own names on them. The forecast called for spectacle and they delivered.
Woolfson Eye Institute created a white gown with embedded lights that genuinely made people stop and stare. Elegant. Unexpected. Distinctly Woolfson.
People’s Choice Award: Rotary Club of Maryville, who raised a whopping $4,108 from the crowd vote. The people have spoken, and the people apparently love a floral moment. We respect it.
Judges’ Choice Award (the Golden Stiletto): Smith Life and Legacy, because apparently a dress made partly from coffin construction materials is exactly the kind of bold, unhinged, fully-committed craftsmanship that wins top honors. Scotti Thompson, you are a vision, and we mean that sincerely.
In total, 11,672 votes were cast during the event: $9,447 online and $2,225 by cash or check. Combined with ticket and table sales, the event brought in approximately $48,000.
That money goes directly to Blount County Habitat for Humanity’s mission of building affordable, stable housing right here in our community. So yeah, the caution tape dress and the coffin gown? They’re literally helping families get into homes. How’s that for fashion with purpose?
Before the sequins and stilettos took center stage, the evening paused for something genuinely moving.
Habitat for Humanity’s executive director, Kathy Stark, was honored for her 25th year of service to the organization. Twenty-five years of showing up for this community, building homes, and building lives. The Tennessee State Congress recognized her with a formal proclamation, presented by Representative Tom Stinnett and Senator Tom Hatcher, with board chair Tracy Queen joining in the celebration.
Twenty-five years. That’s not a career, that’s a calling. Blount County is lucky to have her.
Construction Couture is exactly the kind of Blount County event that reminds you why you live here, or makes you wish you did. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, it’s community showing up for community in the most creative way possible. And it raises real money for real families in real need.
If you missed it this year, mark your calendar now. Because if year seven looked like this, we can only imagine what year eight has in store.
Let’s be Blount: this county never stops surprising us, and we’re here for every second of it.
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