Fashion designers and events have always taken causes under their wings, using their influence in popular culture to raise awareness of often-overlooked serious issues in their communities. Now Bahamians can have a similar event to look forward to locally that not only celebrates fashion but takes a serious look at influential women as well as the widespread effect of AIDS and HIV in the Bahamian adolescent population.
Though this is its first year, the Red Dress Soiree is set to become an annual charity event, said its founder and organizer, Tyrina Neely. With a cocktail reception, silent auction and runway show that highlights 10 Bahamian leading ladies in one-of-a-kind red dresses envisioned by 10 local fashion designers, the event promises to be not only fun but educational as well.
"We're such a fashion-conscious country and community so I thought it would be something people would get excited about," said Neely. "I wanted to do something different and I wanted to kind of give a fresh spin to fundraising. I wanted to be able to celebrate local designers and what they do. Who doesn't love fashion, who doesn't love getting dressed up and seeing beautiful art?"
For Neely, whose background in fashion comes not only from her degree in advertising and marketing specific to the fashion industry, but also her work with various fashion institutions and magazines in New York City, Europe and at home in The Bahamas, the charity event is a chance to bring her passions together to help the community.
The event is being hosted by The Bahamas AIDS Foundation and Neely's fashion-centered company, Primadona. The Bahamas AIDS Foundation institutes after school programs for adolescents infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS that provide them with educational tutoring, psychosocial intervention, peer support, job training and placement, referral services, and counseling as well as a snack and a hot meal.
With AIDS being the leading cause of death for the 15-49 year-old margin, said Neely, the support that the foundation provides this group is needed more than ever to help them lead healthy and productive lives.
"I wanted to bring more awareness to the fact that so many of our adolescents are affected by this whether they themselves have HIV/AIDS or someone in their family," she said. "It's still something that has such a negative stigma; we don't have a space for it, and I think it's important for people to get involved in this cause."
The Red Dress Soiree will directly support the efforts by The Bahamas AIDS Foundation, said Neely. She always wanted to host a fashion event like a runway show, but decided to put a fundraising spin on it after her experience with a young HIV-positive man with whom she kept in touch.
"His parents passed away, and when I found that out I said I really want to combine both of these desires of mine to support the AIDS Foundation and their work with adolescents directly affected by HIV/AIDS like this child," she said.
"My love of fashion also gives me a desire to promote designers locally and really just put on an event that celebrates not only amazing women who are the matriarchs and nurturers of society, but also fashion designers who I think don't always get as much support and praise as they should locally."
Indeed the charity event will touch many lives and worthy causes - by asking local designers to make 10 one-of-a-kind red dresses for their runway show, they support and showcase local artists, and by selecting 10 outstanding women from all aspects of Bahamian society to be the "leading ladies" modeling the creations, they spotlight strong female heroes for adolescents to admire.
"They do amazing work to give back," said Neely. "These women were selected based on their professional achievements and we wanted to have women from different sectors of society - so we have people from law, politics, farming, the arts, film.
"These are women who have achieved greatness in their careers; they're amazing businesswomen, but they are also women who have given back to the community," she continues. "This is just the first 10 - we look forward to doing this event and highlighting many, many, many other women over the years."
This year the ten Leading Ladies include Janet Bostwick, Joann Callender, Dr. Sandra Dean-Patterson, Karin Goodfellow, Maria Govan, Janet Johnson, Tanya McCartney, Elaine Pinder, Tonique Williams-Darling and Sharon Wilson. They will model the designs on Javotte Bethel, Apryl Burrows, Phylicia Ellis, Sabrina Francis, Brynda Knowles, Patrice Lockhart, duo Cardell McClam and Christopher John, Indira Moss, David Rolle and Theodore Elyett.
Indeed, the evening will be a chance for guests to not only admire the visions and talent by local artists, but learn about how they too can help those affected with HIV and AIDS, striking inspiration in the Bahamian community.
"Obviously I want people to have a good time; I want it to be an event people talk about for weeks after it happens," said Neely. "But apart from that, the real underlying reason here is we want to support the AIDS Foundation and what they do."
"I want people to just have a heightened sense of awareness - to say they know what they can do to help, to mobilize and actually get started in doing something."
The Red Dress Soiree will be held Saturday, March 3 at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort and Casino. The Red Carpet Experience will begin at 6:00 p.m. with the Runway Show at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets to the event are $100 per person which includes complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres at the cocktail reception. They can be purchased at La Rose Boutique on West Bay Street and Goodfellow Farms in Mount Pleasant.
 
For more information, e-mail rdsbahamas@gmail.com.
 

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