Runway of Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit charity that advocates for participation, inclusion and opportunities in fashion and beauty for people with disabilities, will host its 10th anniversary event, “Fashion Revolution.” The runway show will be presented by Victoria’s Secret & Co. and will take place at Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn on Sept. 9 during New York Fashion Week.
Fashion Revolution will feature over 60 models from a range of disabilities and backgrounds, showcasing leading companies in the field of adaptive and universal design.
The event will bring together more than 500 influential leaders and advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion. Brands appearing on the runway include Victoria’s Secret, Pink, Kohl’s, Target, JCPenney and Tommy Hilfiger, and shoes will be provided by Zappos.com.
Victoria Arlen was one of the models walking down the runway at last year’s Runway of Dreams. Courtesy of Getty Images, Runway of Dreams
Canadian actress, model and activist Madison Tevlin, who stars in the TV comedy “Champions,” will host Fashion Revolution. Tevlin stars in the 2024 viral campaign “Assume That I Can,” which garnered more than 150 million views in less than a week on World Down Syndrome Day.
“Runway of Dreams and NYFW represent everything I love: New York, fashion, advocacy and a big party,” Tevlin said. “Walking the runway and hosting Fashion Revolution is a dream come true and I can’t wait to be a part of this amazing event.”
This year’s show added a project called “Next Gen,” in which six talented fashion design students from the Fashion Institute of Technology worked with models with various disabilities to create runway-ready looks in three categories: lingerie, athleisure and sleepwear, addressing their specific dressing challenges.
Rati walked the runway as a model at Runway of Dreams last September. Getty Images, Courtesy of Runway of Dreams
Runway of Dreams founder Mindy Shire and members of VS&Co.’s adaptive design team will work closely with FIT students to create a look that is both functional and stylish, while keeping in mind the models’ comfort and ease of movement. The final creation will be the grand finale of the Runway of Dreams 2024 show.
VS&Co. will also receive the Runway of Dreams Foundation’s 2024 Pioneer of Change Award.
“We are incredibly proud of the team who worked tirelessly to bring our adaptive product collection from concept to reality,” said Martin Waters, CEO of VS&Co. “We are honored to be recognized with the 2024 Pioneer of Change award and truly value our relationship with the Runway of Dreams Foundation as it helps us deliver on our commitment to removing barriers that hold women back and supporting women at every stage of life.”
“For the past decade, the Runway of Dreams stage has been the ultimate platform for brands to present cutting-edge adaptive designs and products, and with the unwavering support and active engagement of our sponsors, we are thrilled to ensure this year’s runway show is one of the most memorable yet,” added Shire.
