The sartorial whirlwind that is New York Fashion Week is around the bend and we were thrilled to hear about a new kind of fashion show in the schedule amid the likes of Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren. No, it's not another celeb getting into the fashion game—it's Salute the Runway, a fashion show that will honor veterans who have served our country by incorporating servicewomen as its models.
Salute the Runway will open the week at the Lincoln Center tents on September 3 and give 15 servicewomen the chance to walk the catwalk in little black dresses from designers like Calvin Klein, Mara Hoffman, and DKNY, reports WWD. "I'm going from boots to heels. I'm not a heels person," Nancy Schiliro, a 34-year-old former Marine, said. "But if I could climb through barbed wire, I can pull off walking in heels."
The show ties in with programs held at bases around the country aimed to shed light on the difficulties women in the military face while transitioning back to civilian life—including exploring what femininity outside of fatigues means. Admitted tomboy Schiliro said she's excited about the chance to "smile and put on some makeup and feel like a woman."
"This is an opportunity to show folks it's not just men who serve. Women are out there doing the hard jobs too," said Stacy Pearsall, a retired staff sergeant who was wounded in Iraq. "I've spent most of my time in uniform, [but] I love fashion. I'm not a beautiful, tall girl you usually see on the runway, but I can hold my own."
Participating designer Carmen Marc Valvo chose to be involved after thinking about the women he'd be helping to dress. "Some of these women have been in the service for 20 years and have spent their entire careers there. When they leave, they have to be introduced to a different society. It's something they've forsaken for a long time. They're used to fatigues and combat boots, not wearing a dress and killer heels."
Professionally, Fashion Week is an exhausting time and can start to feel like a huge swirl of clothes and models and impeccably dressed attendees standing in lines. The opportunity to kick it all of by reflecting on something as important as honoring those who have fought for us is something I really appreciate and look forward to watching.
Do you love that these veterans get to experience Fashion Week by taking to the runway?
