A week-long celebration full of events with an aim to unite and empower all of womankind began today, hosted by local women’s charity, Blackburne House.
The first of the celebrations started on Monday, with other events throughout the week until Friday March 8th on the official International Women’s Day.
Paula Johnson, who runs a ladies boutique in Liverpool, Sparkles Studio, has teamed up with Blackburne House by organising a unique fashion show event for Thursday.
She told JMU Journalism: “I got involved with Breast Cancer charities for women who have had or are having vasectomies and ovarian cancer, and empowering them by dressing them in the clothes and getting them to walk around the tables. It’s a very informal event and it’s not like runway, there isn’t anyone size zero and 5 ft 11 tall, it’s all normal women of all ages, shapes and sizes.
“With this event, I get so much pride with the women who model because I know their journeys. For example, one of my models is awaiting a cornea transplant and another model had a double mastectomy and I know their personal journey. It isn’t about whether they’re going to buy the clothes, it was making them feel good and promoting self-worth.”
YouTube: Emma Fegan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hepmxek0DZE
Marketing Manager, Max da Silva Willis, said: “We want to re-frame the idea of what makes someone beautiful. There’s a massive psychological, emotional connection to clothing that we tend to forget. There are a lot of connotations with fashion that are quite shallow and this is the antithesis of fashion – to break that mould because it really focuses on the inside, through clothes.”
Events Assistant, Robyn Bowyr, said: “Tuesday showcases an amazing film about women, who if it wasn’t for them the NASA space mission wouldn’t have been possible and only one woman was allowed to receive her award, so it’s nice that it is finally getting recognised.
“They are all social occasions. Anybody can come to educate and celebrate women because we are all different and we all need to be in this together to make a change.”
Money raised at the events will be going towards helping Blackburne House support women in business and funding for students.
For more information on the events this week, visit the Blackburn House website.