Jul 30 2012

HEELS AND HOLSTERS – AN OVERVIEW OF THE CC HOLSTER FASHION SHOW

Kitty Richards’ awesome gun heels

Although all the hype about  the Concealed Carry Holster Fashion Show was primarily about the runway show itself, there was really much more to the event than just heels and holsters.  In fact, there was an entire day and evening of education available for women interested in responsible firearm ownership and use

Some notes about the event :

  • The purpose of the event was to educate, empower and enable safe and responsible firearm ownership
  • Tickets sold out in advance – we expect a larger group next year!
  • Around 250 people attended the event
  • All of our models were gun-friendly volunteers who dedicated ample time to make the runway show happen
  • The local Fox news showed up and did a piece on the event. It can be seen here http://www.fox23news.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=3655184
  • Proceeds from event went to the REACH Center of Columbia and Greene counties – a center that helps victims of crime and abuse
  • Around two dozen holsters were showcased on the runway
  • The event was sponsored by Tri-Village Rod and Gun Club
  • Three Top Shot contestants, representatives from the NRA, and local firearm instructors were among many of our attendees

Saturday, July 21st at 09:00 we kicked off the day right by putting rounds downrange  at  a women’s shooting workshop put on by Tri-Village Rod and Gun Club in Valatie, NY. Women came from near and far to work one on one with instructors at the club and professionals such Gabby Franco and Frank Melloni.  Of course, I helped out too.

With the beautiful Trish Cutler (the mastermind behind the entire fashion show event) at the shooting workshop.

By 17:30 the doors opened at the firehouse banquet hall in Hudson, NY.  The first order of business was to offer our guests the opportunity talk to several different vendors. From self-defense instructors and tools, to ammunition themed jewelry, and tee shirts: we had a little something for everybody.

After dinner, IDPA queen, Kitty Richards introduced the speakers and kept the crowd on their toes.

We were fortunate enough to get a handful of fantastic guest speakers who talked on everything from the Second Amendment to the importance of training. All of the Top Shot guests present gave inspiring speeches and testimonials as well.

Gabby Franco talked about how she got into shooting, growing up in Venezuela, and why she moved to the USA (I’ll give you a hint, it has to do with the Second Amendment). Gabby has been competing for several years and has even shot in the Olympics!

Gabby recently became a full-fledged a U.S. citizen, which is awesome because she is probably one of the most patriotic people I know. This gal is red, white and blue – through and through.

The runway show itself was complete hit. The models did a fantastic job, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of women to work with.  It was such an honor and a pleasure to host the runway event. I gave a short speech to the effect of my  “THE HEART OF THE MATTER”  article, then dived right into explaining the demos and announcing the models and holsters. Now I know what it’s like to be Ryan Seacrest ;-) .

Annette Evans, Myself, and Keith Gibson. What are they all laughing at?

We showcased about two dozen different holsters, and many of them were designed specifically for women. Check back soon for a complete list of the holsters!

One of the most important parts of the show was showing women not only how to carry a firearm in different types of holsters, but how to safely holster and draw their firearms as well. Annette Evans, an active firearms instructor and competitor on the East coast gave demonstrations on how to draw from the different configurations.

After the runway event there were a few more speeches and a demo on key batons. The night ended on a good note, and I think just about everyone had as much fun attending the event as we had putting it together.

I did happen to run into these lovely lady gun bloggers as well:

Me, Gabby from ArmedCandy.net, and Rebecca from RebeccaGuns.com

Stay tuned for more details on what products we put on the runway!

© Packing Pretty, Gracie McKee 2012

By Gracie • Adventures, Uncategorized, Womens CC Holster Fashion Show • 9 • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,