Goodwill Goes GLAM! 2026 with Valerie Joseph

Valerie Joseph can still remember the moment she realized fashion had the power to transform people’s lives.

She was working in a retail boutique on Oahu, not long after graduating from public school. At first, Joseph was simply drawn to the creativity of the fashion industry: seeing vibrant colors, feeling different textures, and learning about various clothing styles. But it was watching women try on clothing that changed her appreciation of fashion.

“I’d dress women and see how they would just light up when they put something on that really fit them well and worked with their personality,” Joseph says. “That’s when I realized the effect that dressing can have for someone’s emotion and confidence. It’s what made me fall in love with doing what I do.”

This realization became the foundation for a career that has spanned retail, styling, television, interior design, and creative purpose. More than following trends, Valerie Joseph as a designer and brand represents identity, storytelling, and empowerment. It’s a philosophy that will be at the forefront this summer with Valerie Joseph as the producer and creative force behind Goodwill Goes GLAM! 2026, presented by Bank of Hawaii Foundation.

“I really want people to leave [this year’s] show seeing Goodwill differently,” says Joseph. “It’s a place full of possibility, creativity, and second chances.”

Understanding one’s own potential has a special significance for Joseph, who was surrounded by style influences years before she realized fashion would become her career. Born and raised in Makiki, her father worked in retail while her mother loved shopping and had a closet that Joseph spent hours exploring as a child. “She had amazing shoes and beautiful pieces,” Joseph says. “I remember going through her clothes at a young age and transforming things to fit me.”

While her classmates flipped through teen magazines, Joseph found herself drawn to publications such as Vogue and Architectural Digest. She became fascinated by clothing as well as interiors, architecture, and the emotional experience of design. “I was interested in how people express themselves, whether it’s through fashion or the spaces they live in.”

Her curiosity eventually evolved into an approach that Joseph describes as lifestyle design, a focus based on understanding the individual person who will be wearing certain clothing. Rather than styling someone for a single occasion, Joseph’s goal is to help her clients build confidence through their clothes that reflects who they are and how they want to feel.

“I think of myself as a lifestyle designer,” says Joseph, whose design style has guided her work as a stylist, POSHd boutique owner, and television personality on her long-running local program, Fashion Sense by Valerie on OC16. She also developed a workshop series called Suit Yourself: The Power of Self Branding Through Style, which teaches women about color analysis, body proportions, and personal style. A major goal is helping people move away from self-criticism.

“People walk into fitting rooms already saying things like, ‘I’m too old for this’ or ‘I’m too big for that,’” Joseph says. “I want people to understand that style should never intimidate them. Fashion is supposed to be exploratory and empowering.”

Joseph’s message of self-empowerment aligns naturally with Goodwill Goes GLAM!, committed to providing free job training and employment services to Hawaii residents facing barriers to employment. Since launching in 2012, Goodwill Goes GLAM! has become one of Hawaii’s signature fundraising events, combining a runway show with a 20,000-square-foot curated pop-up marketplace featuring secondhand designer fashion, accessories, housewares, collectibles, and vintage treasures sourced from community donations. Proceeds from this three-day event help support Goodwill Hawaii’s workforce development programs benefiting more than 10,000 people annually.

As Goodwill Goes GLAM! enters its 15th year, the event remains a key opportunity to showcase the organization’s mission and community impact. “A lot of people know us for our stores but may not realize all the other services we provide, from assistance with job training and placement to financial literacy education or support for those coming out of incarceration,” says Goodwill Hawaii COO Casie Bui. Goodwill Goes GLAM! also highlights sustainability efforts, allowing guests to see items given a second life instead of going into a landfill.

Founded in 1902, Goodwill provides job training and placement services for individuals who face difficulty securing employment. The nonprofit funds these programs through a global network of more than 4,200 thrift stores. Since opening in Hawaii in 1959, Goodwill Hawaii has helped thousands of local residents gain skills, training, and job opportunities statewide. As an independent, locally run nonprofit, Goodwill Hawaii relies on community support and events like Goodwill Goes GLAM! to fund its programs and continue serving Hawaii residents.

“We’re more than just a thrift store,” Bui says. “We love hearing the stories behind the items donated to us, and then seeing someone else reimagine those pieces. People who donate are helping the people we serve get a second chance.”

Valerie Joseph describes this year’s runway presentation as an immersive experience that will blend fashion, music, dance, and storytelling. In addition to upcycled looks created from pre-loved Goodwill pieces, the show will feature live music and dance performances from Kristian Lei and the Honolulu Broadway Babies as well as the Hawaii Krump Movement. “I like to think of it as an experience rather than a traditional fashion show,” says Joseph. “It’s an evolution of second chances.”

Beyond the runway, the designer is creating the Valerie Joseph Edit, a curated lifestyle installation inside the GLAM! Marketplace featuring hand-selected fashion pieces, home accents, beauty products (including Joseph’s own CocoJava line featuring coffee-inspired beauty, skincare, and pantry items), and interactive style experiences. Guests will also have an opportunity to participate in quick color and body-type assessments through Joseph’s Suit Yourself program.

Ultimately, Joseph hopes people will have the opportunity to reimagine their own personal wardrobes as well as themselves. “Style is about confidence, understanding and appreciating who you are,” she says. “When people feel good in what they wear, it changes how they move through the world.”

The 15th annual Goodwill Goes GLAM! will be held July 16 to 18, 2026 at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. The fashion show gala begins at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, with tickets including first access to the GLAM! Sale immediately following the runway presentation. The free public pop-up marketplace will continue Friday and Saturday. (Learn more about this meaningful event that supports Goodwill Hawaii’s community programs statewide.)