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
Designers who will be showcasing includes Project Runway’s Nancy Volpe Beringer, BOLD Swim, Chablis Designers featuring Just Us Teenz, Half-Flat, AnaOno, Andie Swim, and Thistle and Spire.
This event is proudly supported by the New York State Office of Mental Health, Pathfinder, Clean Cause, fashion designer Nancy Volpe Beringer, The Sober Curator, NAMI NYC, Just Us Teenz, the Paul Mitchell School, Rehab Studios, and Sober is the New Cool—all of whom share our commitment to advocating for mental health, sobriety, and recovery.
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.
This Season’s Designers
At age 64, Nancy made history as the oldest ever designer on the show and paved her way to the Project Runway finale through her creativity, determination, and quest for melding sustainability and inclusivity. She presented the first ever zero-waste Project Runway finale at New York Fashion Week with models of all sizes, races, gender identities and abilities.
Nancy’s Project Runway experience strengthened her determination to promote more diversity, sustainability and inclusivity in the fashion industry. An array of challenges brought on by the pandemic inspired Volpe Beringer to create The Vault by Volpe Beringer. It is the world’s first and only fully accessible designer luxury platform which offers adaptable options and complimentary consultations for the disabled community.
As a teacher/mentor, advocate, and now as a fashion designer, Volpe Beringer’s innate creativity has inspired an array of platforms that give a voice to the unheard, including at-risk children, educators, refugee women and most recently sustainability, inclusivity and adaptability in fashion.
Tiffany Asamoah, the visionary behind BOLD Swim. Our brand embodies a fresh, minimalist take on women’s swimwear, focusing on timeless designs and a forward-thinking approach to fashion. We believe in effortless elegance, crafting pieces that seamlessly blend style with comfort.
We understand that the right fit isn’t just about feeling good on vacation—it’s about empowering confidence. When you wear BOLD Swim, heads turn and self-assurance blossoms, challenging conventional beauty standards. In a world where size and sustainability often clash, we’re rewriting the script. Our brand seamlessly weaves together both, proving that confidence is just as vital to the swimwear experience as finding the perfect fit.
Tyrone Chablis is one of the architects of the thriving New Jersey fashion scene. A major influence on the local fashion culture, for more than thirty years, Chablis has been a fixture of the tristate area fashion scene. He plays many roles – from commentator to show producer to master tailor to his most prominent and passionate pursuit – designing and making fabulous clothes.
Is a hand crafted leather bag company that was birthed and bottomed in Brooklyn, NY, now currently creating in Connecticut. Our bags illustrate where edginess meets elegance and are made for all to wear. The Canteen Clutch showcases Devan’s signature style: classic structures re-interpreted. Each Canteen Clutch is fashioned from 100% genuine leather with a super-soft feel. The exposed stitching is hand sewn with sturdy cord, adding both detail and durability. In addition, the unique self-closing feature transforms each bag, a fashion-meets-function accessory you never have to put down.
Half-Flat
Is a line for women who had a unilateral mastectomy. Founded by Lori Olcott, this unicorn designer has been living half-flat for five years.
AnaOno may have been born out of necessity, but today it gives us a reason to celebrate what makes us different. It’s not just about your body – it’s about your story. Maybe you’re a breast cancer patient or survivor. Maybe you’re asymmetrical or have other needs for a bra to fit your chest. You could be tired of traditional underwire bras that cause unnecessary pain and discomfort. You may just want something that makes you look and feel good. No matter who you are, no matter your story, we believe you should have a bra that fits your unique shape. AnaOno. Designed differently. Because we are. And different is beautiful.
We created Andie to make swimsuit shopping a breeze with stylish staples engineered for modern life. No more adjusting, tugging, or pulling: just well-made, well-cut suits that look great, keep everything where it should be, and feel so comfortable — you’ll forget you’re wearing anything at all.
Proudly female-founded in Brooklyn in 2015, Thistle and Spire was created to give a beautiful boost to anyone who needs a lift, literally and figuratively. Fed up with the same old stale styles and beauty standards, we were inspired to do things daringly different and to give you that extra edge to put power into every moment.
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.
