Little Black Dress Initiative puts the spotlight on poverty
Melanie May | 22 February 2016 | News
The Junior League of London holds its third annual Little Black Dress Initiative this week, to raise awareness about poverty and its effects on women.
Launched to coincide with London Fashion week, the campaign challenges participants to wear the same little black dress for five days to illustrate the impact that having limited resources can have on a woman’s confidence and access to opportunities.
As well as wearing the same dress throughout the five days, participants will also be using Twitter and Instagram with #TheLBDI and @TheLBDI to share their experiences, increase awareness of the poverty issue in London, and drive donations.
The campaign’s fundraising target is £30,000 through online donations to its Virgin Money page and aims to see 50 participants join the movement. The funds raised will support the Junior League’s work.
Following the campaign, participants donate dresses and other business-appropriate clothing to the charity’s community partners Smart Works, which helps women on low incomes prepare for job interviews by providing them with professional attire and career development skills, and Suited & Booted.
2014’s inaugural campaign raised over £17,000, which rose to more than £27,000 last year.
Natasha Turner and Cynthia Ward, founders of the campaign, said:
“Wearing a dress allows us to speak for those women who can’t speak for themselves. When we started the campaign we wanted something that was going to get the attention of women and the public at large to highlight the effects of poverty has on our everyday choices.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.