CHICAGO DESIGNERS PARTICIPATE IN ANNUAL FASHION CHALLENGE TO SUPPORT REFUGEE WOMEN IN KENYA

Heshima Kenya celebrates fashion and philanthropy with their 4th Annual Fashion Challenge on Thursday, November 12th at 6:00 p.m. at Room 1520 in West Loop. The event will showcase the work of the Maisha Collective, an income-generating program where refugee women learn to produce unique, hand-dyed scarves. These colorful pieces will be featured in a runway competition where local designers create a wearable piece from a Maisha Collective scarf. Members of Chicago’s fashion community will judge each design and a winner will be announced. Participants include Demis Emmir, Fraley Le, Michelle Tan, Lagi Nadeau, Lauren Lein, Elda De La Rosa, and Anastasia Chatzka to name a few.

In addition, musical entertainment will be provided by one of the most respected underground femme mixing deejays, Amy dB.

“People are caring more and more about where their products are sourced from, and who made them,” explains Alisa Roadcup, Executive Director of Heshima Kenya. “We want to invest in handmade pieces with a powerful story that will stand the test of time. Maisha fabrics are more than just a gorgeous handmade good - they represent hope and a bright future for the refugee girls Heshima Kenya serves.”

Heshima Kenya is an organization based in Chicago and Nairobi that specializes in identifying and protecting unaccompanied and separated refugee children and youth, especially girls, young women and their children living in Nairobi, Kenya. From countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi, these young refugees have experienced the detrimental effects of war, the loss of their families, and in many cases, kidnapping, rape, trafficking, unlawful detainment, and torture. Heshima Kenya provides them with shelter, education, vocational training, case management support and advocacy.

The Fashion Challenge allows young women from the other side of the world, to influence and inspire a designer’s vision through one Heshima Kenya education program: The Maisha Collective. A peer-driven initiative, the Collective teaches leadership and business management through the design and production of hand-dyed scarves and textiles.

Tickets to the Fashion Challenge are $100 per person for general admission, $125 for fashion show seating, and $150 VIP front row fashion show. All information about the event and tickets can be found at www.heshimakenya.org