October 23, 2006

Fringe Benefits

Abi Ferrin Collection

Your Achilles heel? A knack for misdirecting your philanthropic zeal (to wit: the time you deposited 75 cents into a totally-not-homeless dude’s coffee cup).

A better cause? Abi Ferrin’s debut collection, a collaboration between former L.A.-based stylist Ferrin and Erika Everett (one half of the beloved Everett Parker) to aid impoverished women and kids around the world.

The duo’s first effort — the Nepal Collection — features exotic dresses and tops crafted in rich fabrics like silk, rayon, and chiffon. Our favorites include the flirty halter dress (in a silk and chiffon mix), elegant fitted wrap dress (in silk jersey), and the daring reversible hooded tunic.

But there’s a do-gooding twist: Each piece has custom-made touches (like toggles and buttons), created with the help of Nepali women who, through the aid of a regional nonprofit and the designers themselves, get training, fair pay, food, and shelter.

See? You can make a difference. 

Without going out on that unreliable limb.

Available at Elements, 4400 Lovers Lane, University Park (214-987-0837); online at abiferrin.com.