By Joseph Jalsevac
TORONTO, August 18, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Nearly thirty models are keyed up and ready to walk the runway this Thursday evening as part of a unique fashion show organized by the summer youth interns at Campaign Life Coalition, Toronto. The goal of the show is to present today's youth with attractive alternatives to mainstream fashion trends that tend to degrade human sexuality.
Event coordinator Jenna Murphy spoke to LifeSiteNews and explained the reasoning that compelled her to initiate the organization of the show. “Whether or not we realize it,” she said, “the way we dress affects the way we behave, how we perceive other people, how we perceive ourselves. So if we dress in such a way whereby we are sending a message to the world that we respect ourselves and that we do deserve respect in return, I think that you are upholding a framework.”
Murphy referred to the importance of the concept of modesty. She said, “If you take away the bottom rung of the ladder, which is modesty – how you present yourselves to the world – you are causing some kind of collapse.”
The negative way women are treated in today's society was noted by Murphy. “Athough that is not entirely due to a lack of modesty,” she said, “it does play a major part. It is a piece of a framework that has been missing. A lot of young women have lost their sense of identity; they are making themselves look how they think everyone wants them to look, and as a result of that they are not being treated how they deserve to be treated.”
Murphy and her team are not alone in their convictions. TRENDS fashion is a nation-wide group of young people who have a similar mission, which they describe as being to, “empower ourselves to achieve fashion freedom: fashion that reflects our personal style and counteracts the objectification of women”. Much to Murphy's delight, the group offered to become involved with the fashion show, giving valuable advice based on their own experience with such fashion-related endeavors.
The fashion show will occur at the Woodbine Banquet and Convention Hall in the Etobicoke region of Toronto and will be hosted by Toronto designer and TV personality Lisa Canning (see her blog here). In addition to an hour of runway time set to live music by guest DJs, Canning and youth speaker John Espadero will speak about the theme of dignity in fashion.
All proceeds of the fashion show will be donated to help women in crisis pregnancies and new mothers in need. The event will also include a silent auction offering art, jewelry, and clothing.
The organizing team reports that there has been surprise regarding the fact that some of the models will be as young as 12 or 13.
“Yes, some people have been shocked that we are featuring models so young,” said Murphy, “but we only see that as a reflection of reality. Fashion choices start young, and with a lot of tween girls taking their cues from Beyonce (Knowles) and Lindsay Lohan, it's crucial that they are given an empowering alternative.”
Tickets for the fashion show are $15 in advance, or $20 at the door. For tickets or more information call 1-800-730-5358 or e-mail [email protected].