Denim Day is a day of protest and advocacy for survivors of sexual violence, falling on April 24th in 2019.

Please visit The Rialto Jean Project to purchase any of these pieces. We encourage you to click the links below to learn more about these organizations and to get involved.

We at Celestino are honored to have collaborated with Beauty for Freedom, an organization helping to merge beauty, art, and fashion to create powerful allies in the find to end human trafficking and sexual violence, for this project. In its fourth year of support for Denim Day, BFF has created a new campaign in collaboration with their mentoring programs High School of Fashion Industries, Celestino Couture, and Steps to End Family Violence.

The teen designers of HSFI have designed a capsule collection using recycled denim that has been hand-painted by survivors of labor trafficking youth supported by Challenging Heights, a survivor-led organization battling the crisis of child labor trafficking in Ghana, West Africa. The recycled denim project in Ghana was sponsored by The Rialto Jean Project (RJP). The collection will be sold on the RJP with 100% of the proceeds benefitting, Challenging Heights, Beauty for Freedom and Denim Day.

The collection has been photographed and is featuring Actress and Trans Activist Indya Moore, Actress Zazie Beetz, former NFL Player & LGBTQ Advocate Wade Davis, Model and Activist Khrystyana Kazakova, New York City councilwoman Carlina Rivera... among others.

Below we feature our looks, as well as quotes from our models on their thoughts about the project.

 

 

"There’s a lot of importance and relevancy in advocacy for survivors of sexual violence. Especially for trans youth, youth of color and people who are victims of sexual abuse and existential exploitation. We also don’t talk about
the sex trafficking & sexual violence trans people experience enough.... we are often excluded from conversations & visions of what it looks like to protect people & young ones against exploitation."

- Indya Moore | Actress, Activist, & Model

 

  

"As a fashion model of over 15 years, I have experienced and seen many instances of sexual harassment on the job. As a survivor of sexual assault, it saddens me to know that victims oftentimes receive little support and are victim-shamed for various reasons. With this campaign and mentoring program, I want to use my voice as a tool to empower survivors and victims. No means no and consent is the only option when speaking about permission and sexual activity."

- Corinna Drengk | Elite Model & Activist 

 
 

 "The only way we are going to make a lasting dent in rates of sexual assault and other forms of gender-based violence is if we pursue a top-to-bottom reform of how we educate people about sex, sexuality, gender, and respectful relationships. We as a city must make this investment in new educational programs if we hope to foster a future where respect and equality are truly embraced by all New Yorkers."

- Carlina Rivera | New York City Councilwoman

 

 

  
"... Once we end the stigma of silence in our society regarding sexual violence

and human trafficking, the perpetrators will no longer be empowered or have control over victims... My work with BFF and this Sexual Assault Awareness Campaign has taken a time in my life that was filled with terror, darkness anddanger and transformed it into something incredibly beautiful! ..."

- Gina Cavallo | Survivor, Speaker and Advocate | New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking

 

 



"...I believe that as someone with a voice that can be heard and a platform that can be seen, it is important to engage in activism and social politics that are authentic to who you are and authentic to the things you care about..."
 
- Zazie Beetz | Actor, Artist & Activist
 
 

 
 
"The fashion industry is a powerful stage with a global reach.

As designers, Cat and I feel it is our duty to use this platform to fight for more ethical fashion practices and promote the value of human life... At no cost does an article of clothing become more valuable than the well-being of a person." 

- Shannon King | Designer & Activist
  
  
 
 
"I never anticipated that I would be encouraging change through anti-sexual violence activism... I was assaulted in college and know how it feels

to be silenced and not believed.... I’m proud to be partnering and contributing to communities who are sending the message that a future without sexual violence isn’t negotiable..."

- Lee Upshur | Survivor, Activist & Artist

  

 

"...Regarding this Sexual Assault Awareness Month Campaign, it’s such a relief to see this narrative being talked about. The story of Denim Day is astonishing. I personally can relate to the story in Italy, because when I was molested at the age of 9, I had jeans on... It’s incredibly healing to open up, share and hold love..."

- Khrystyana Kazakova | Model, Activist, & Artist

  

 

 

"...Doing what power does and doing what a patriarchal society demands is that we find ways to make the survivor complicit in their own attack... I’m excited to be a part of this project because it not only supports survivorship but it also helps us think more emotionally about what it means to be in solidarity with survivors..."

- Wade Davis | Former NFL Player, Inclusion Advisor & Activist

 

We would like to thank the following for taking part in making this possible:

Campaign Activists — @indyamoore @gi_cav @_shannon_king_ @seenheardbelieved @wade_davis28

@khrystyana @zaziebeetz @corrinadgk @carlinaarivera 

Photographer – Geremy Dubensky @geremydubensky

Photo Assistant – Agnes Margittai @aggie1202

Producers – Monica Watkins, Jerry Chu @artinmotionshow @jerrydigital

Assistant Producer – Gabrielle Head @ratedg_

Studio – LIM College Maxwell Hall Photo Studio & CreativeDrive (Dune Studios) @LIMCollege @mycreativedrive 

Designer – High School of Fashion Industries Design Students & Celestino Couture @fashionhighnyc @celestinocouture

Styling – Kade Johnson & Sergio Guardarrama @kadegjohnson

Hair – Paul Lodge & Ben Martin @hairbybklynwarhol @mrredbeard

Hair Assistant – Claudia Robinson @ms.crave

Make-Up – Tommy for Pat McGrath Labs, Daniela Taveras, Christianna Gastelum & Juliet Jane @tommymakeup_ @welcome240something @chris_t_anna @julietjane 

MUA Assistant – Violetta Kruglyak @viola_k_nyc

Sponsors – LIM College, CreativeDrive & Elite Model Management New York @LIMCollege @MyCreativeDrive @EliteNYC @lilpendas @corinnadgk

Retouching – Mary Swenson


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