Threads Fashion Show: A Collaboration with Fashion Against Violence

Story by Jenna Boulter 

Central Michigan University’s own Threads Fashion Show is headed to Flint, Mich. to help and participate in the annual Vehicle City Fashion week happening Nov 17 at 6 p.m.

Vehicle City Fashion week is an annual event in Flint set out to promote and represent the local boutiques and designers within the Flint area.

One of these designers is Kala Wilburn, CMU fashion department alumni. Wilburn is having a show in Vehicle City fashion week for her line “Fannie Lucille.” When Wilburn was young, she lost her brother to a violent act and is now set out to help others dealing with violence in the Flint Area and bring awareness to this issue.

Wilburn wishes to show others, especially those dealing with violence at a young age, that you can rise above it and still move on to be successful. Wilburn started her own fashion line called “Fannie Lucille” which she uses as a platform for her fashion against violence campaign.

Children dealing with violence are able to send out an application to Wilburn on how violence has affected their lives. Wilburn then teaches these kids how to sew, hosts modeling classes and more fashion-related events showing these young fashionistas the potential they hold.

Threads Fashion noticed Wilburn’s cause and is now collaborating with Fannie Lucille and Fashion Against Violence for Vehicle City Fashion Week.

Threads Fashion Show’s directors and producers are headed to Flint for the event to assist Wilburn with her show with hopes to promote Threads Fashion and the CMU fashion program and to inspire those to combat the violence with fashion.

Four Threads Fashion Designers including Cecilia Alfaro, Analiese Zaleski, Chloe Tulgetske and Tolulope Nathan will be showing  collections from Threads 2018 in support of Fannie Lucille and Fashion Against Violence.

“As an alum from our fashion program, we really wanted to make the connection with Kala and for her audience to see how she came full circle from dealing with violence at a young age, going to college and participating in Threads to now having her own line and helping other kids with an experience similar to hers,” Cecilia Alfaro, Threads Fashion Show producer said.