MENTAL HEALTH IN FASHION

A central aim of MENTAL HEALTH IN FASHION is to establish a place for mental health within education. Lasting change requires reaching the next generation, questioning established norms & creating space for a different professional culture. We were pleased to hold a fireside chat at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, made possible by Cathleen Sheehan’s openness & commitment. Addressing a subject that remains too often taboo also means equipping young people with constructive ways to approach it. Bringing education, the fashion industry & creative platforms together is an important part of this work.

During our exchange at FIT, we also introduced the MENTAL HEALTH IN FASHION category curated for Diane Pernet’s ASVOFF Film Festival & encouraged students to submit their films. Grace Ryan, a FIT student, became a finalist, & her film will screen at DOVER STREET MARKET PARIS in November. Film can offer a way to express experiences that are not always easy to put into words, opening doors to dialogue & helping personal stories reach people who may recognise something of their own experience.

Let’s keep listening, learning from one another & creating spaces for these conversations to continue, in Paris this November & in classrooms and institutions elsewhere. Every exchange can help us break the silence.

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