We're Walking the Walk... in the Dreamwalk Fashion Show!
This fall you can catch The Shoe Fairy shoes on a new type of runway!
As the official shoe sponsor of The DreamWalk Fashion Show, we’re proud to be part of this “body inclusive” event promoting diversity and acceptance.
The show’s founders, Alyse (IG: @BiteSizedFitness) & Lexi Scaffidi (IG: @BiteSizedSis) are no strangers to the stage. After a number of years in the fitness industry, they decided to stop competing and chase after their dreams of rocking a different kind of fashion runway.
Together, they created the first ever body inclusive fashion show featuring “dreamers” (what they call models) of all sizes, ages, genders, sexualities, ethnicities and abilities.
Now in its 3rdyear, DreamWalk is hosting its annual event in NYC on Sunday, September 15h at Live Nation’s Gramercy Theatre.
Recently, we had a chance to catch up with Alyse & Lexi to learn more about the inspiration behind their show and what they hope to accomplish in the years to come.
Read below to learn more about how this duo is proving that EVERY body is beautiful and deserves a chance to shine on stage.
Q: How did the idea of “DreamWalk” come about?
Lexi: The idea behind DreamWalk came to us back in 2016 while watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. My sister and I absolutely loved the wild costumes and glittery outfits, but we knew we’d never meet the brands restrictive model criteria. Since I’m only 5’2 and Alyse is only 4’11 we felt discouraged by the one size fits all look on runways. Almost immediately after the show ended, we started planning our own inclusive event. Now, over three years later, we’ve already given almost 100 people the chance to live out their dream of being a runway star!
Q: Why do you think a show like DreamWalk is needed in today’s society?
Alyse: Since we love fashion, we found ourselves always looking up to models in magazines or celebrities online. But this 1% of the population leaves the rest of the world feeling like they aren’t good enough. It was important for us to make a body inclusive fashion show because we hadn’t seen any change when it came to highlighting diversity and inclusivity on television and social media.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with DreamWalk?
Alyse: Our goal with DreamWalk is to create role models that others can look up to. Our show features many people who have overcome tremendous challenges or been overlooked by society. Instead of giving up, our determined runway stars continue to remain positive and serve as inspiration for others struggling with similar issues. Also, since our first show in 2017, we’ve already noticed a shift in major brand advertising towards more inclusive marketing campaigns.
Q: How does this event differ from a regular fashion show?
Lexi: DreamWalk isn’t just a fashion show, but an immersive experience for both participants and guests. We have live performers playing music on stage as our diverse lineup of dreamers strut their stuff in costumes they design. In addition to the actual fashion show, guests also get to snap photos in front of our pre-show “pop-up” art installations, like life-size flower angel wings or a rainbow bagel wall.
Q: Where do you see the show in five years?
A: With such a high interest in participation, we hope to expand to major cities throughout the US. Currently, we have dreamers flying in from multiple states with some even coming from Canada and the UK. In addition to a national tour, we hope to create the most diverse community of people online.
Q: How can people get involved?
A: We’d love to meet you at this year’s 3rdannual event on Sunday, September 15that Live Nation’s Gramercy Theatre. Tickets are available at www.dreamwalkfashionshow.com/2019nyc and include access to our pre-show pop-up and three live musical performances by Kicking Sunrise, Zach Matari & The After Parti, and Switch Mob. Also, if anyone is interested in learning more or getting involved, you can contact us at info@dreamwalkfashionshow.comor follow us @dreamwalkfashionshowon Instagram.