Many believe that 2,000 years ago, one man turned water into wine. Doc Hendley, a bartender and musician from North Carolina, set out to recreate this legendary act of kindness, with his own twist. Knowing that over one billion people in the world go without clean water, Doc felt compelled to use his drink serving skills to somehow impact the international problem. His solution? Wine to Water, an international nonprofit that sells wine and hosts events to raise money for the construction of wells and filters for communities in third world countries.

After seeing Doc’s inspirational presentation on CNN Heroes this past Thanksgiving, Angharad Chester-Jones thought the idea would take hold in Charleston — and she was right. On Wednesday night, donors packed Social for the first Wine to Water event in the Holy City. Angharad recruited friends and colleagues to donate their time and talents to the event — luckily for us, Angharad has a lot of talented friends. Julie Wheat of Cavortress hopped on board, and was one of three local shop owners/designers to show six looks in a mini fashion show. In addition, Wheat outfitted the volunteers for the evening. Emcee Brooke Ryan of Two Guys and a Girl on 95SX looked stunning in a Cavortress blazer lined with gold piping. Cose Bella showed several looks on the impromptu stage, as well as Eden Boheme. After the brief show, which seemed more like a tease, we were left even more excited to see Anna Lassiter (of Eden Boheme) in the upcoming Emerging Designers Competition during Charleston Fashion Week.

Local visual artists Julio Cotto, Nathan Durfee, Ben Timpson, and Joanna Jackson decorated the walls with their works. Afro-Latino dance troupe Buen Ache gave attendees a lively performance, expertly swaying their hips in front of the makeshift art studio. A pop-up shop of sorts was constructed upstairs, with clothing from the earlier fashion show and a book signing with local children’s author Jonathan Miller.

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