While many have stepped up to support the elimination of violence against women and bring awareness to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Orange the Runway model show has returned with its own story to tell.
The theme for the much anticipated show is “Through the looking glass”, which represents society viewing cases of GBV as it happening to themselves, the creator Jamicia McCalman-Nelson told the News Room.
McCalman-Nelson is also the Founder of the Heart to Art Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation established with the sole mandate of using arts advocacy as a method of bringing awareness to issues such as Gender-Based Violence.
“I just felt as though it was needed,” she said, as she explained the reason for the show.
“More than anything it is to be part of the conversation because the theme is really a call to government, to civil society, to the judicial arm, to see ourselves – when you look at your brother and your sister to move away from this bystander culture,” McCalman-Nelson said.
Started in 2018, Orange the Runway aims to bring awareness to the abusive relationships and experiences that women and men live through. This year, through storytelling, the runway will depict the much needed information that the public must be aware of to understand how deeply GBV has affected society.
Asked about the return of the show, she said; “I felt as though it was long overdue to happen and it felt as though I was reintroducing the brand to persons and I don’t want persons to completely forget about it.”
The show is being held on December 4 at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, starting at 19:00 hrs. It is being hosted during the 16 days of activism for the elimination of violence against women and girls by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.
Fashion shows have always been a creative mode of spreading awareness about issues in society. As such the designers have combined ideas which reflect stories that correspond with the theme.
McAmon-Nelson’s passion to bring awareness to GBV stems from her own experience and the ones she observed within her home. She has been modeling since she was a young child and even participated in pageantry. Now she intends to use her spotlight for a cause.
“I wanted to show persons that the fashion industry is more than just a space of clothing articles. It is something that we can use to tell stories and bridge gaps within our society. It is art by extension that we can use to heal hearts and I think we have been doing a perfect job at highlighting that fashion is more than the models and cute clothing,” she said.
She highlighted that her advocacy is not focused on women only because men are affected too.
“Organizations focus on women. We can look around and see hundreds of organsiations that focus on women and their development and things going toward them and then we look and see men continue to ask, ‘What happen to me?’
“The conversation surrounding men and the challenges they face is very minimal. I have always made it my duty to ensure that when dealing with the issue of gender,” McCalman-Nelson said.
