End of Year Recap: Red Ball & Season of Giving

Gary Adrian
Jan 5
3 min read

I am really glad the term “better late than never” exists, because I am always late. It’s 2026 now, and I am still reeling from the triumphs, pitfalls, and excitement of 2025.

First off, can I just tell you how incredibly grateful I am to the Denver community for embracing Haus of Other with open arms? The accomplishments we achieved in our first year of business are too many to mention, and as founder, I ended the year with a joyful heart—full of gratitude and forgiveness.

To add a spectacular end to a spectacular year, Haus of Other was honored to create looks for Red Ball, a gala fundraiser by Colorado Health Network. We were contacted by CHN after the main runway show had already been cast, so they invited us to create something special for the VIP guest reception before the show. Since I don’t understand the concept of restraint, I decided to create a special collection of seven VIP looks. Since I also don’t understand the concept of time management, I gave myself 22 days to create them. Did I learn any lessons in 2025?

Spoiler alert: it all worked out. Did my closing model, Nadia Evangelina, become deathly ill the night before? Yes. Did a cabinet fall off the wall, raining shattered glass onto the costumes at 2 a.m. the night before? Also yes. Was the event totally and completely worth it? For sure.

The theme of Red Ball was Resilience, so I created seven looks inspired by facets of queer resilience. We showcased the collection in a VIP runway show complete with live violin by Vio the Violinist and songs by Richi Ramos. I opened the show wearing NeNe Leakes–style Beyoncé finger waves and modeled a look inspired by Love, which I believe to be the most resilient force in the world. The six other looks were:

Legacy, depicted as a large red disco AIDS ribbon, modeled by Vio the Violinist.
Life, portrayed as a red rose garden, worn by Richi Ramos.
Blood, inspired by bloodlines, in a red fringe gown modeled by Motherdaddy (Venus Clark).
Bone, represented by skeletal structure, worn by Mason Ae.
Stone, imagined as a rock-and-roll rhinestone stop, worn by Maya Blasingame.
Hope, depicted as a bloody dove of hope, worn by Nadia Evangelina.

After the runway show, we mingled with the crowd and took photos. It was a magical night that I will never forget.

After the event, I felt so honored and fulfilled that I decided to auction off the looks to benefit other queer non-profits and organizations. I chose organizations we worked with during our first year. The benefiting organizations were Colorado Health Network, The Center on Colfax, OUT FRONT Magazine, Queer Business Alliance, and Denver Food Rescue.

We ran the charity auction for five days before Christmas and are happy to report that all the looks sold. We donated half of all profits to the benefiting charities. It felt good to end the year with philanthropy.

One thing I’ve realized in our first year of business is that Haus of Other has been aligned with charity and non-profits from the very beginning. I remember being in the hospital with my mom when she was officially in remission—she mentioned that she wanted to do charity work when she got home. She never got the chance, but I like to think I am carrying on that tradition through Haus of Other.

It’s a legacy I am honored to uphold.

Season of Giving is a tradition I plan to continue.