New York Fashion Week may not officially begin until Friday, Feb. 9, but Black celebrities have already gotten a start on Fashion Month. Two fashion shows, in particular, kicked things off with a touch of health advocacy, respectively bringing awareness to heart disease and prostate cancer.
Celebrating the fact that February is also American Heart Month, on Jan. 31, Black female celebrities, including Star Jones, Yvonne Orji, and Samira Wiley, donned their best red for the American Heart Association’s Red Dress Collection Concert at New York City’s Lincoln Center. Hosted this year by Sherri Shepherd, the annual Red Dress event benefits the AHA while bringing awareness to heart disease. The next night, on Feb. 1, Billy Porter, chef Marcus Samuelsson, Don Lemon, and veteran stylist Ty Hunter were among male celebrities wearing blue down the runway of the eighth annual Blue Jacket Fashion Show in support of prostate cancer research and advocacy.
Both events aimed to spread awareness about urgent health issues disproportionately impacting Black communities. According to the AHA, heart disease kills more than 50,000 Black women annually and impacts roughly 59% of Black women age 20 and older. According to research by Zero Prostate Cancer, approximately one in six Black men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime.
Founded by Black designer Frederick Anderson, the Blue Jacket show was held at Moonlight Studios and benefitted Zero Prostate Cancer. According to a release to theGrio, a variety of legacy designers contributed to the evening’s celebrity style, including Tommy Hilfiger, Thom Browne, AKNVAS, Carlos Campos, and Bruno Magli. Holly Robinson Peete also joined her husband, Rodney Peete, on the runway, donning a blue…
Read the full article here
