Shoppers Rejoice: After A Four-Year Hiatus, BerkChique Returns

BerkChique veterans, heads up: Vicki Bonnington will be bringing 20 racks of her own fashion collection to the pop-up clothing sale and fundraiser next month. Bonnington is the area’s preeminent fashionista, known for her fantastic (and, often, fastastical) collection of designer clothing, which she delights us with by wearing her getups at functions throughout the year. She, along with philanthropist and businesswoman Nancy Fitzpatrick, conceived of BerkChique in 2012 as a fun way for donors to clean out closets in support of local nonprofits. This year’s pop-up boutique will land at Ventfort Hall in Lenox April 26-28.

“We’re rusty,” Bonnington says. “We haven’t done it in four years, so we’re getting back into the saddle.” Blame it on Covid, shall we, but the hiatus presumably means there’s more clothing, shoes, and accessories ready to be donated by patrons who possess some of the most fashionable closets around.

Unlike previous years, the racks won’t be divided by price but by occasion or type of garment. Still, items will start at $5 and go up from there. New this year, too, is a more robust offering of men’s clothing. “We have a ton of men’s stuff,” Bonnington reports, “so for the first time we’re going to have a separate men’s section. It’s very high-end, very reasonably priced.”

Reasonably priced might be in the budget of the beholder but considering Bonnington’s acumen (along with that of Tabitha Rasmussen, the project manager — and only paid person on staff), you probably should trust that you’re getting a good deal. To quote from an early Rural Intelligence story, the former corporate attorney collects designer fashion “with all the avid focus a museum curator lavishes on acquiring art. And, like a curator, she occasionally wants to deaccession pieces that are no longer relevant to the [Bonnington] collection.” Over half of it is designer.

Those pieces become part of what Bonnington calls the “priceless rack,” the super pricey (relatively speaking) items at $200, $500 and up. If you want to buy something from those racks, you’ll have to consult with Bonnington, who will give you a history of the garment and probably some fun story of how she obtained it, where she wore it, and why she’s donating it to the cause.

From Rural Intelligence archives: Vicki Bonnington in her over-the-top getups through the years. She is accompanied by her significant other, David Schecker.

But even away from Bonnington’s racks, the event becomes a chatty, social occasion, especially when there are communal dressing rooms involved. If you’re not sure if something is right for you, someone will probably tell you.

Over the years (this is its ninth), BerkChique has traveled throughout the county, and this year was expressly invited to Ventfort Hall by its new-ish executive director Wendy Healey, a huge BerkChique fan. The Gilded Age “cottage” built in the Jacobean Revival style will be a gracious backdrop to the hustle-bustle of the sale. “It’s a great melding of style and purpose,” Bonnington says of Ventfort Hall. “It’s wonderful to have them be the host location and sponsor. We can give them some cash (from BerkChique’s proceeds) to help them move along in their restoration efforts.”

Which brings us to the mission of the clothing sale: To benefit local nonprofits. This year the funds will be donated to, besides Ventfort Hall, WAM Theatre, Berkshire Humane Society, Community Access to the Arts (CATA) and Berkshire Art Center.

Whatever merch is left at the end of the weekend is donated to nonprofits like the Elizabeth Freeman Center and the Berkshire Humane Society for its Catwalk Boutique (“Where shopping saves animals”). In 2022, Massachusetts banned textiles from disposal, so Bonnington is intent on finding a home for each garment.

“Even though I am a naughty person on the buying side of clothing, I’ve never had any garment of mine go to a landfill, ever,” she says.

If you have items to donate (new and gently used women’s and men’s clothing, shoes, and accessories including belts, handbags, jewelry and scarves), you can drop them off at Ventfort Hall, or schedule a pick-up by a BerkChique volunteer. Check the website for more details on donating goods.

“There’s something for everyone,” Bonnington says — including for her. “I’m not only the founder of BerksChique, I’m one of its best customers.”

BerkChique!
April 26-28
Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum
104 Walker Street, Lenox, MA

Friday, April 26 — First Dibs Shopping Party
VIP Shopping 5:30-8:30 p.m., $100 donation
General Shopping 6:30-8:30 p.m.
$25 for 1 or $40 for 2

Weekend Shopping — Free admission
Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday, April 28, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.