You spent an hour fixing your hair, another 30 minutes choosing an outfit and you took one more quick-look in the mirror to see a smile of personal approval. Now you’re in the car listening to the radio that’s blasting some Hollywood gossip complete with the latest plastic surgery buzz.
Even though you might have left the house with a kick in your step, something makes you second-guess your confidence.
Am I beautiful?
A second guess like this one happens more often than not, according to Mary Ellen Clausen, the Ophelia’s Place executive director. Because a non-profit like Ophelia’s Place promotes healthy lifestyles and positive outlooks on the diversity of beauty, the idea of “taking back the runway” means a lot to so many women.
Ophelia’s Place hosted its third annual Revolutionizing the Runway Fashion Show Sunday Feb. 7 at the Liverpool Community Church.
The show included fashions from Rescue Mission Thrifty Shopper, Target and The Cheryl Geiger Collection. Ann Marie Stonecypher’s AMS Models provided talent.
The fashion show represents the “real women,” Clausen said.
“What I love about it is it’s an opportunity to put another face on what we do,” Clausen said about the non-profit’s fashion show.
Each year, the show has featured Ann Marie Stonecypher Models of all shapes and sizes in a wide age range. The diversity of the models has allowed community members to envision their own beauty as beauty that can work a fashion runway, said Joslyn Smith, Ophelia’s Place director of planning and research.
“The purpose behind the event is to give a platform for everyone,” Smith said. “Everyone’s behind them, to help them meet the challenge.”
The support from others is what helps women gain the courage to accept who they are and be themselves, said Lori Rhoads, fashion show marketing coordinator.
“Most women feel the need to qualify themselves,” Rhoads said. “There’s no need to do that.”
Rhoads said she remembers a time when she met a woman that said “she felt thin inside.”
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard her say it,” Rhoads said. “You are who you are and you should live your life that way.”
Social stereotypes have forced most people to get a false idea of what’s beautiful and what is not, Clausen said.
“We need to open our eyes and say, ‘Wow, look how beautiful all of this is,’” Rhoads said.
Clausen, Rhoads and Smith all agree that parents need to step in and reaffirm positive and healthy qualities in their children.
Some toys such as dolls are reinforcing negative images of what’s “beautiful or acceptable” in society, Rhoads said.
Negative messages received early on, only makes the stereotypes stronger, Clausen said.
This year’s fashion show featured a few more positive elements to its line-up to help perpetuate the positive theme of the event. Filmmaker Darryl Roberts was in attendance to talk about “America the Beautiful,” a real-life documentary on the lengths Americans take to be “beautiful.”
The show began at 3 p.m. with a viewing of the documentary trailer. Roberts traveled from Chicago to be at the fashion show.
“I’ve never done anything like this before,” Roberts said.
Roberts has made two romantic comedy films before, and “America the Beautiful,” is his first documentary. He said the project came to life as he realized how he personally followed in the footsteps of stereotypes and viewed women in a “shallow” manner.
In his own experience, he found that he “was unable to appreciate the wonderful girlfriend” he had at the time.
“Why did I do something so stupid?” He asked aloud. “Why are we so obsessed with looks and beauty?”
Although he was “embarrassed” to admit what he had done, Roberts said he was glad to “take something positive from his mistakes.” Roberts was also featured in the runway line-up.
Acting as master of ceremonies, Joy Nash, an actress and size-acceptance activist from Los Angeles, traveled across the country to speak on behalf of “real women.”
“I’m honored to be here,” Nash said.
She was mainly “looking forward to the positive energy the room will be filled with,” especially after her personal video monologue was played.
Nash’s YouTube video, “Fat Rant,” played before the runway show began. She talked about how she has accepted who she is and how it has improved her quality of life.
After the models cleared the runway and “More Beautiful You,” was performed by The Christopher Ames Band, Ophelia’s Place staff members encouraged audience members to share something positive about each of them.
Each fashion show program contained a blank post-i
t note so that everyone could write down one thing that makes him or her feel beautiful and proud to be who they are.
All proceeds benefited Ophelia’s Place in Liverpool.
