Fashion Speaks benefits Eden

When I was younger, I got it into my head that I would be the next Tyra Banks, and I would strut up and down the living room of my house dressed ridiculously in my mother’s evening gowns. Never during that time did it cross my mind that a love of fashion could ever be transformed into a means of doing social good.

Unbeknownst to me, such a scheme had already been established by Lauren Bush ’06 during her time here. Her plan was not only to expose Princeton students to fashion but also to pave a novel way to positively impact our community. Her legacy, “Fashion Speaks,” an event organized by the student group Service in Style, has developed into the largest student-run charity fundraiser on campus, with over $10,000 dollars being raised last year alone. Sights are set even higher this year, Blaire Bloxom ’14, the current co-director of Fashion Speaks, noted, with a current goal of $15,000.

The main event of Fashion Speaks is a classic fashion show, with over 40 student models strutting their stuff up and down a runway that will be set up in the Frick Chemistry Laboratory on Saturday, April 20. The models will be outfitted in ensembles provided by various brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Brooks Brothers and Lilly Pulitzer. The event is sponsored by groups such as the New York-based Next Step Realty and several different Princeton academic departments. The fundraising conducted this year was able to cover the expenses of the event entirely, a rather impressive feat considering that the cost of running such a show has been around $8,000. All proceeds from ticket and T-shirt sales as well as donations will go directly toward the charity that Service in Style works with, The Eden Institute. A locally based organization, the Institute was established with the goal of improving the lives of children and adults with autism by providing evaluative services along with educational opportunities and other resources.

Fashion Speaks prides itself on its close ties with The Eden Institute, hailing the show as an opportunity for students on campus to become aware of greater world issues. “Being in the Orange Bubble, we kind of lose sight of people outside of the Bubble who are suffering great hardships around the world. I think that the fact that Fashion Speaks uses fashion as a venue to fundraise and to benefit such a wonderful cause has been very rewarding and a wonderful opportunity for everyone involved,” co-director Rachael Baitel ’14 said.

Service in Style has focused not only on pulling off a successful show, but also on uniting a variety of students from various interests and parts of campus in an effort to increase awareness of autism and raise funds. Bloxom shared that the Fashion Speaks group was inspired by Oscar Wilde’s quote “You can never be overdressed or overeducated” to really make an effort to educate the Princeton community by way of fashion. She noted that being involved in this show has opened her eyes to the fact that “we can do so much and that Princeton students can do so much more” to help the local community and to affect change.

The event’s ability to unite students has really stood out this year. “It’s not just about showcasing beautiful faces dressed in gorgeous clothing — it’s about students coming together for a great cause,” Baitel said. Various groups from the Princeton community are represented in this show, from dance groups to improvisational groups, and yes, even members of the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students. Joe Ramirez ’07, a student at the time of Fashion Speaks’ debut and a current program director in ODUS, will be making a comeback as a model in this show. His performance is made even more poignant by the fact that this year will be his last with the University.

While the fashion is sure to be stunning, for Bloxom and other students involved in this event, the goal is far greater than a typical fashion show. “Fashion Speaks is much more than fulfilling a childhood dream to be a real-life model; it’s about contributing and branching out to the local community, like in Princeton’s motto to be in the nation’s service,” Bloxom said.