Local fashion show combats homelessness
Photo by Michelle Liptak, Mimi Wu models at Novo fashion show
Mt. SAC students modeled in a fashion show in Walnut April 25 in order to raise funds for Helping Hands Caring Hearts, a charity organization aimed at assisting the homeless.
Jessica Chang, 21, psychology major at UC Irvine, conceived the idea for the event after gathering some of her clothes together and donating them to a local charity. Chang said the donation inspired her to have a clothing drive, but that her thoughts didn’t end there. She dreamed bigger, meeting a couple of her friends and telling them her idea about helping the community.
Vineyard of Harvest Church located in Walnut sponsored Chang’s idea-Novo Fashion Show Clothing Drive.
Ellen Chang, 22, public relations major at Cal State Fullerton, co-organized the event. Chang said “novo” was a latin word, the root meaning “to be made anew,” a concept which symbolized the recycled clothes used for the fashion show. Half of clothing donations were handmade or refurbished, used in the show and sold at a silent auction, while the other half were donated to Helping Hands Caring Hearts and Working Wardrobes.
Ellen Chang said several Mt. SAC students and friends of designers were contacted to model in the show and assist with setup and cleanup of the event. Fashion design students from California State University Long Beach and Rhode Island School of Design graduates were given their own fashion line to produce. The show had an introductory dance before models hit the runway, 12 designers and eight lines of clothing.
Wendy Chou, CSULB fashion student, served as the fashion coordinator of the event. Chou worked with Jessica Chang to create “Reuse the News” fashion line. Some of the Models’ attire were made from newspapers, including large newspaper bows on models’ heads. Ellen Chang’s fashion line, “Collide” was made with the help of designer Janet Kung, a junior high student at Mesa Robles in Hacienda Heights.
Mark Horvath was chosen to speak at the event in order to break some of the stereotypes associated with homelessness, Chang said.
“We wanted him to come and give his firsthand perspective and open peoples’ eyes,” Chang said.
Horvath was once homeless and living on the streets, Chang said. Horvath now spends his time giving a voice to the homeless, through his website, invisiblepeople.tv/blog.
Horvath opened the show. He said he wanted people to understand who becomes homeless and why. Living as a homeless person gave Horvath a greater empathy and understanding of homeless individuals, he said.
“We can’t depend on the government,” Horvath said. “We have to look toward ourselves, open our hearts and souls to lend a helping hand.”
-Wendy Rubick and Michelle Liptak
