The Saratoga social season opened with an elegant labor theme in the "Threads of Wiawaka Fashion Show" benefit in late June at the Hall of Springs.

The fashion show and luncheon was a fundraiser for Wiawaka Holiday House on Lake George, which for more than a century has provided rest and renewal for women from all walks of life — especially self-supporting women of limited means.

Among those attending were New York's first lady, Silda Wall Spitzer; NYSUT Vice President Kathleen Donahue; and U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Hudson. Spitzer told her own story of working in the Concord, N.C., mills as a qualified weaver as a teenager. "The heat, cockroaches and noise were part of the experience that gave me the desire to go to college. Being here today supporting Wiawaka has brought me full circle."

Founded by progressive activist and Troy native Mary Wiltsie Fuller, Wiawaka takes its name from a Native American word for "the great spirit of women." One of the oldest continuously operated retreats created by women for women, it is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed to provide respite for women in the area working in the shirt collar and factory industry.

"Restoration has been the theme at Wiawaka for generations of women, including many NYSUT members," said Donahue.

Seth Cohen, president of the Troy Teachers Association, came to support the benefit in honor of his grandmother, who was the first president of the Boston local of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. His grandfather was a Socialist Workers organizer.

"To my mind they both exemplified the ideals of Wiawaka," Cohen said. "I'm sure they would have fit in very well with the guests who have stayed there."

The fashion show showcased the work of 10 local designers whose work ranged from recycled clothing to custom-made dresses to high-end swimsuits and accessories for fashionable little swimmers.

For information, log on to www.Wiawaka.org.

— Denise Clapham