2021 Fashion Month Campaign Recap
This September, the fashion industry celebrated the return of New York City as a vibrant cultural hub with the first in-person New York Fashion Week in over a year. As the industry rebounds, we have expanded and continued the work of Custom Collaborative’s Training Institute through virtual classes and select in-person workshops. We celebrated New York Fashion Week by launching our customary back-to-school fundraising campaign.
Donations from you and other supporters help us buy technology and pay for other resources for women who would otherwise not have access to participate -- the digital divide is real.
All month we hosted activities to give you an up-close look at our impact. Custom Collaborative Ambassadors led an Instagram Takeover, sharing their personal stories and spotlighting sustainable BIPOC designers. Here’s what they had to say:
Alex Mitchell, a new Ambassador, joined the Instagram takeover and led a personal fundraiser. She raised $685 by asking friends for support and posting stories on her social media accounts, @alongsmith and @thecraftscomeoutatnight. “I was really happy and honored to become a Custom Collab Ambassador. I was even more excited to be able to help them raise funds to further their vision. I think the work they are doing is so important and I'm happy to be a part of it in any way I can.”
Laura Snebold, @laura_snebold, an inaugural Ambassador, joined our takeover on September 14th with a personal video of why she represents CC’s mission. “Custom Collaborative is unstoppable! It was an honor to share the mission and I was so glad to be a part of a campaign that connected many of us who love and support the organization.”
Finally, Ambassador Kendall Lee Atkinson, @theprply, closed off the Custom Collaborative takeover with a two part reel showcasing sustainable highlights from this year’s shows, including Collina Strada’s diverse model cast and Bevza’s use of fabric scraps on the runway.
We also collaborated with prior partners: On October 7th, Mara Hoffman hosted Custom Collaborative Executive Director Ngozi on IG Live. The two leaders talked about what sustainability really means, and how we can get there collectively. They discussed the 2020 One x One apprenticeship program and invited a CC participant, Jasminea, to share what Custom Collaborative and opportunities like the apprenticeship have meant to her. She also showcased some of her latest designs for her line, ONYEKA. After the live, Custom Collaborative took over Mara Hoffman’s Instagram with some videos highlighting our work. It was a fun event, and, thanks to Mara Hoffman’s generous personal $1,000 match, we raised $2,980!
In addition to the engaging interactions we also threw in some competition to the campaign. Individuals competed to raise the most funds and hit different benchmarks to win great prizes.
Lesley Enston, CC Development Manager, who led the Fashion Month campaign, was extremely moved by the support from our community, “Thank you to each and every person who contributed to our campaign, whether you gave money, or promoted it on your social media. The support we received from our community was incredible. Every donation, from $5 to $1400 has a huge impact [on the programs we offer], and means so much to me, Ngozi, and the whole team. We had so many incredible partners for this campaign. Thank you to brands like Mara Hoffman, Milk Cosmetics, Another Tomorrow, and Tata Harper for your support! Thank you to our Custom Collaborative Advisors Meeta Anand, Tabitha St. Bernard, Dominique Drakeford, Tessa Maffucci, and others for all your work and support.”
Concluding the campaign we raised a total of $13,061.00! We thank everyone who contributed to our campaign. Your collective support helps further opportunities for the women we serve. Although our Fashion Month campaign has concluded, you can still support aspiring women entrepreneurs by giving here.