It is no secret that the fashion industry has a long history of substance use and a lack of acceptance towards those who struggle with their mental health. After surpassing a historical landmark of 109,680 overdose deaths in a one-year period last year, now more than ever we need to continue this national discussion on the runway.
Founded by Alexandra Nyman, “Break Free is my plea to society to open up about their struggles with substances and mental health, in doing so, we may come to realize that we are not alone in our struggles. The more we recover out loud, the more we can help others to come out from the dark and into the light.”
This season we have some incredible designers showcasing with us from around the globe including, OIT Fitness from the UK, RaccoonGuts from Toronto, NYFW Veterans Heritage India Fashions, Sonal Couture, & JulissaDesigns, and NYC natives, Just Us Kidz, and Rehab Studios.
Heritage India Fashions: Founded by Prashant Goyal, Heritage India Fashions’ latest collection, the Heritage Collection, is inspired by the people he has met throughout his life and travels from all around the world. When a bride wears a Heritage India Fashions bridal design, she feels out of this world, with a fusion of cultures and the rich heritage that makes the brand unique in New York.
Sonal Couture: Founded by Sonal Dua Yakhmi, Sonal Couture believes that women are the most powerful beings in the world and that they should be given every opportunity to shine.
Just Us Kidz: In 1993 LaFrances created Just-Us-Kidz Production, an organization catering to providing opportunity, platforms, and support to promising young talented throughout the United States.
Over the course of two decades, LaFrances and has helped hundreds of children to kick start their careers and to move them in the right direction for them to reach their dreams & goals.
JulissaDesigns: Julissa Cadena is a fashion designer born in the Dominican Republic, she also believes that you can be fashionable and maintain a degree of modesty at the same time. JulissaDesigns has been born again, and I will be showing looks from the previous collection and their new 2024 collection.
OIT Fitness: Founded by Orliange Tandhoson, OIT Fitness is working towards having clothing that is environmentally friendly, comfortable, and soft. Since mental health has become more apparent after the pandemic, we hope to be able to in the future as our brand matures, to be able to provide funding in a mental health awareness campaign.
RaccoonGuts: Founded by Hayley Spurdle, RaccoonGuts is proud to present: Trigger Warning. Trigger Warning explores the concept of trauma and change. This collection is meant to convey ideas of chaos and pain from a dignified perspective, focusing less on the expression of destructive tendencies and more on living with the aftermath of those actions.
Rehab Studios: Rehab Studios is a brand born from REAL people and their REAL journeys of recovery from addiction and mental illness. Our aim is to create a collection that celebrates and inspires recovery in others.
Break Free’s NYFW Designer Showcase will be held on Monday, September 11th at 230 Fifth in the Empire Ballroom. Doors open at 6pm with mocktail hour powered by Curious Elixirs with a tasting of select items from their elixirs. The show begins at 7pm, and the after-party will once again see a tasting from Curious + a pop-up of Third Place, a non-alcoholic bar pop-up in NYC.
This event is open to the public, with early bird pricing available until Monday, August 28th. Tickets range from $35-100 and are available on eventbrite.com.
Media Contact
Alexandra Nyman, Break Free Foundation, 1 570-369-0325, [email protected], https://www.breakfreefoundation.org/
SOURCE Break Free Foundation
