Forget Derelicte: Volunteers and fashion-forward homeless youth wrap up a long day of shooting on HYA's Project Runaway shoot.

PHOTO COURTESY HOMLESS YOUTH ALLIANCE

Five fashion-minded homeless youth – two men and three women  – had two hours to complete a fashion challenge using only donated clothing and street friendly supplies. That meant no sewing machines – more like dental floss, duct tape, and art supplies. The result? Find out by attending the Homeless Youth Alliance's screening of Project Runaway on Fri/16.

Some of the looks created in the series might come across as obvious – the streetpunk aesthetic of Haight-Ashbury's homeless youth seems to have influenced a few of the garments. But not all. Other HYA participants went for more avant garde looks, like the “business pirate,” (as a HYA volunteer described one of the looks in a Guardian interview).

At Friday's event, there will also be a fashion show at which a group of well-known fashion-forward judges will critique the garments and choose which DIY fashionista emerged victorious. The judging panel is still up in the air, but the center is hoping to land a former HYA participant who is now working in the fashion industry and a prominent fashion blogger.

Since the long-time haven for homeless youth has seen its funding recently cut by one-third, 100 percent of the ticket profits will go to the center – and in times like these, and particularly with the holidays fast approaching, a little bit of money can go a long way. Seven dollars will allow a youth at HYA the chance to get legal identification, and $30 will purchase 25 pairs of socks.  

The center hopes this is the first of many screenings of Project Runaway. So be an early adaptor –  come enjoy hors d'oeuvres and the inventiveness of young adults who are street and fashion savvy.

Homeless Youth Alliance screening of Project Runaway

Fri/16 7–8:30 p.m., $10-$30

Sports Basement

1590 Bryant, SF

(415) 437-0100

www.homelessyouthalliance.org