Words by Daniel Vaillancourt
Susan Stein was in the mood for something totally different. The creative producer/director of Fashion Week El Paseo (a Palm Springs Life magazine event) for all of its 20 years has produced Animal Samaritans’ Men of the Desert Fashion Show (formerly known as Handsome Hounds), which has benefited Animal Samaritans’ Animal Rescue Program for the last 10.
She knew she’d be involved in the selection of the runway parade’s theme, décor, models, and other production-related elements such as music, lighting, graphics, and video. But Stein wanted to amplify her personal contribution in the most significant way possible.
Animal Samaritans CEO Tom Snyder had a solution. Would Stein – a self-proclaimed “COVID-19 artist” who picked up painting during the pandemic, and who nearly sold out her first of four shows – consider putting her art out on the runway? Of course, she would! So, Stein set out to find pre-loved garments she could adorn with her original paintings. “I just wanted to add a little different look to the show,” Stein says as we sit near her white baby grand piano in the living room of her Rancho Mirage home. “I’m a big fan of sustainable fashion. Everybody’s read about the tons and tons of clothes in landfills. It’s pathetic.”
For the record, apparel industry e-commerce platform Uniform Market estimates that, since 2017, “over 11.3 megatons of textile waste end up in U.S. landfills every year.”
Enter Revivals Stores
When thinking of doing her small part to counter fashion waste, Stein hightailed it to Revivals, knowing it well as one of the best places to find pre-loved treasures to re-love — and use as blank canvases. 
“I scout Revivals all the time,” she says. “I go to Revivals because I’m always fascinated with what people have gotten rid of and why. That’s the psychological part of fashion that helps me move ahead. I’m also surprised that some people don’t realize the value of what they have given away, and that it perhaps should still be in their wardrobe.”
Stein claims Revivals is especially great at stocking high-quality basics — things like denim jackets, blazers, and dark shirts — that are perfect to paint on. “They also have the best socks in the whole world, which no one seems to know about except me,” she adds with a chuckle.
2025’s Handsome Hounds
Co-chaired by Brandon Boswell, Steven Henke, and David Romness, MD, and emceed by KESQ’s Patrick Evans, this signature fundraiser will welcome more than 600 of the valley’s most generous animal lovers for an afternoon of style, compassion, and community spirit. This year’s fashion show will feature the whimsical theme “A Walk in the Park,” encouraging attendees to dress in Garden Chic Attire inspired by springtime in the park—surrounded by flowers, green grass, and, of course, dogs.
The event is made possible, in part, thanks to the generous support of Brandon Boswell Diamonds, Eisenhower Health, Jan Salta, and the One Valley Foundation (the charitable foundation of the CV Firebirds).
20 men will each parade two ensembles. Those dashing dudes will include DAP Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Aquilina, Antonio Baclu, Jason Backe, Dr. Dustin Briggs, Brian Ellis, Ryan Heffinton, Dr. Christopher Hicks, Dr. Richard Hill, Brad Korell, Chris Karow, Dr. Gary Kautz, Mark Mester, Andrew Minnelli, Cody Romness, Steven Rowley, Dr. Mark A. Smith, William Squire, Mark Tadros, Dr. A. David Tahernia, and Michael Westman.
Of the 40 outfits on display on the afternoon of Sunday, December 7, at the Palm Springs Air Museum, 10 will sport Susan Stein’s original art. Of those reclaimed garments, four will have been sourced from Revivals. “They’re all going to be different,” says Stein, “because I’m unable to do the same thing twice. If I sell any of my jackets, I’m giving a percentage back to Animal Samaritans.”
General Admission Still Available
Although all the fashion on parade is for sale, the proceeds donated to Animal Samaritans come from the sale of $250 general admission tickets. (At press time, all $300 VIP tickets are sold out). The event kicks off at 11:00 a.m. with a silent auction and reception, followed by the luncheon and fashion show at 12:00 p.m. In addition to one-of-a-kind Stein designs, there will be pieces from J.McLaughlin, Lilly Pulitzer, Tommy Bahama, and Margaux on El Paseo.
DAP Health Chief Marketing Officer Steven Henke — who happens to be closely involved with all marketing efforts on behalf of Revivals – is appreciative to Stein for amplifying the Revivals DIY fashion experience.
“Revivals stores have long been a destination for fashion designers, Hollywood costumers, and DIY fashionistas looking for inspiration,” he says. “Susan’s stamp of approval makes that legacy feel even more chic. That someone as influential as she would choose to shine her spotlight on Revivals Stores through the Men of the Desert Fashion Show is humbling. She embodies our belief in re-loving the pre-loved and proves that great style and great purpose can absolutely walk the same runway.”
But Stein isn’t just a shopper. She also donates clothing she no longer needs in her closet. “I once went to the Palm Springs Revivals and fell in love with this denim jacket with a big bow on it,” she recalls, “only to realize it was once mine! Oh, well. How funny! It was on a mannequin.”
Knowing Stein’s superior taste in all things, that moment was a stroke of lucky timing. The piece was surely snapped up before the end of that day.
To support Animal Samaritans’ Animal Rescue Program — which has saved more than 16,000 adoptable, at-risk dogs and cats — please visit animalsamaritans.org/men-of-the-desert to purchase tickets to Men of the Desert: A Walk in the Park, presented by the Carl Jud Foundation on Sunday, December 7, 2026, at the Palm Springs Air Museum at 11:00 a.m. Fashion Week El Paseo is March 13-18, 2026.
