The power of generosity easily opens our eyes to the importance of life. It warms our hearts in seconds yet manages to last a lifetime. In the moment…we offer a helping hand. Our helping hands, powered by generosity, are what truly makes us so fabulous!

So why discuss fabulous helping hands? Well, here’s the story: VERTICAL Tampa Bay reader, Upendra Reddy, reached out with an offer to donate a collection of Indian Saris to Fashion Week Tampa Bay 2010 fashion designer, Kimberly Hendrix. She’s a local Tampa Bay designer who reuses, recycles and renews materials to create her gorgeous vintage-inspired and handmade garments and was featured in the fall issue of VERTICAL.

Upendra’s generosity touched Kimberly, and Kimberly decided to donate 50% of the proceeds from the collection she creates with the Indian saris to a good cause of Upendra’s choice. Upendra has a heart for children who are homeless, and the organization StreetSAFE happens to provide for homeless children in the Bay area. This Friday all of these helping hands will be united!

Kimberly Hendrix for k.hendrix is creating a 12-look collection exclusively for VERTICAL Tampa Bay. The collection will be showcased at So Not Sari which is an exotic fashion presentation on Friday, February 11, 2011 at PUSH Ultra Lounge in downtown St. Petersburg.”So Not Sari is a celebration of hope, love and fashion,” says Leslie Joy Ickowitz, publisher and creative director of VERTICAL Tampa Bay. After the presentation, the garments will be featured in a live auction benefiting StreetSAFE – a division of the Family Resources Foundation devoted to the homeless children population in the Bay area.

This event is invitation only. You can check back here though for post coverage updates and join us as we Get VERTICAL this Friday!