Fashion season doesn’t wrap in Raleigh until one special show comes to town. Couture for a Cause is an annual event that matches local designers with local non-profits to create garments that represent the organizations’ missions. It’s a unique show that highlights hometown talent, a few worthy causes, and it’s happening tonight.

One of the biggest reasons I like this event is because it’s about more than leggy models and expensive couture. Many of the designers have personal reasons for supporting the organizations they choose, and they’re using their talents to give back. This week, I spoke with Kim Kirchstein of Leopold Designs who will have two pieces in the show supporting Hospice of Wake County.

Kim grew up in a home with physically handicapped parents — her mother with Polio, her dad with MS — and while it was tough when she lost both of them to their…