On Sunday, October 6th, Break Free returns for their seventh fashion showcase.
This immersive fashion show features live entertainment, designers showcasing the latest styles, red-carpet interviews, and networking with designers, creatives, and industry experts.
- 5 pm: Doors open to the venue, and mocktails will be served to all
- 6 pm: The fashion show begins
Break Free is leading the discussion on mental health, substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders within the fashion industry and beyond. Every runway season, we host a fashion showcase that has mental health and recovery take center stage.
Activists are invited to walk the runway and showcase their designs to spread the message that there is life beyond recovery. This season, we are changing things up in a big way. We are going beyond fashion week and expanding our definition of what it means to be in recovery.
We define being in recovery as being in recovery for substance use, a co-occurring disorder, risky behaviors such as sex and love addiction, gambling addiction, or self harm, disordered eating, being a suicide attempt survivor, and being in recovery for your mental health. At Break Free, we are all recovering from something.
Partnership with Flat Out Love
We are partnering with the non-profit organization Flat Out Love, to answer the question of “I survived cancer, now what?” There is life beyond recovery for cancer, and moreover life after amputation of a one or both breasts and living flat. A majority of our models this season will be members of Flat Out Love who are breast cancer survivors.
A majority of the proceeds from this showcase will be split between the Break Free Foundation and Flat Out Love. Break Free is a non-profit organization that provides scholarships to assist those seeking treatment for a substance use disorder through attending a rehabilitation and outpatient center.
October is Sober October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is Sober October, a month to celebrate those who have sought recovery from a substance use disorder and to encourage others to seek ways to gain sobriety and live a sober lifestyle. October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month.
To celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness month, a majority of our models are breast cancer survivors who have had a single or double breast amputation and have decided against having corrective breast surgery. They live their lives flat and are coming to NYC in October to celebrate International Flat Day, a day to honor women who have had mastectomies without breast reconstruction to prevent or fight breast cancer.
In honor of recovery month, you can use code RECOVERYMONTH for $5 off your order. If you are a person in recovery and cannot afford to attend the showcase, please email us at team@breakfreefoundation.org for information on gaining complimentary access to the showcase.
Nonprofit Partners
Break Free Foundation
The Break Free Foundation aids individuals and families living with mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders to find viable, quality treatment through resources, education, support, harm reduction, and advocacy. We assist individuals seeking recovery through the Break Free scholarship fund, which supports anyone who lacks the financial resources to attend a recovery center, at low to no cost to them.
In 2022, we sent 15 individuals to recovery centers through our two scholarship offerings. One is a general scholarship that anyone seeking recovery can apply for through our collaboration with 10,000 Beds. The other is the Sergeant Tyler Memorial fund, specifically for veterans and active service members to attend a treatment facility.
In 2023, we focused on building direct partnerships for scholarships. Our scholarship providers include the Realization Center, Recovery Centers of America, Surfside Recovery, Foundation House, Shoreline Recovery, and 10,000 Beds (which has 200 treatment partners across the country). In 2024, we will begin to offer scholarships directly through our foundation.
Flat Out Love
Flat Out Love empowers individuals who have had a single or double breast amputation by fostering mental health and body acceptance due to illnesses (such as breast cancer), and encourages the normalization of living life FLAT.
Flatties are women or AFAB (assigned female at birth) individuals who have chosen not to do reconstructive surgery, or who have had to have their breast implants removed due to complications and are now living Flat.
Society often pushes women to opt for breast reconstruction with implants, DIEP flap ( Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator flap), or similar avenues, which most frequently result in a more extended and grueling recovery period. Our mission is to normalize going Flat either through AFC (Aesthetic Flat Closure), Explanting, Single or Double Breast Amputation, etc.
At Flat Out Love, we believe we are whole just as we are, regardless of size, shape, or health history. Save the Person, not their Breasts.
