Sportie LA, Woodcraft Rangers and Di Moda PR hosted a Kicks Design Showcase last night (Tuesday February 23) at Sportie LA on Melrose that featured the designers(high school kids from South East HS) and their kicks from a program called “Streetwear & Kicks”
Streetwear & Kicks was founded by Diana Bianchini of Di Moda PR in an effort to provide Woodcraft Rangers an afterschool fashion program that provides at-risk youth within high schools and junior highs that they serve throughout South LA and Southeast Los Angeles career knowledge and options in the fashion industry. Sportie LA and AVID Ink are both sponsors of the program. Gavin McNeill of LAX Paperboys who also directed the fashion program, spoke to attendees of last night’s party about the importance of the LA fashion community bringing LA kid’s career options and supporting the arts as an outlet to stay off the streets and away from drugs and gangs.
The young designers were on hand for a Live Kicks Design demonstration to help raise funds for their program. DJ Frost (former Woodcraft Ranger) lent his music compilation sound to the event and attendees purchased kicks of all kinds for the kids to freestyle design on. 20% of all purchases last night went to benefit Woodcraft Rangers’ Fashion Program/NVision. Woodcraft Rangers’ current Nvision model evolved from a pilot afterschool program begun in 1991 with seed funding from the James Irvine Foundation. Initially offered in a handful of primary school sites, Nvision now reaches over 18,000 at-risk young people annually at over 60 public elementary, middle and high schools in underserved areas throughout Los Angeles County. The showcase was also sponsored by PAMA Liqueur and ACTIVATE Water.
In attendance included:
Gavin McNeill, LAX Paperboys
Diana Bianchini, Di Moda PR
Isaac Fadlon, Owner of Sportie LA
Cathie Mostovoy, Executive Director, Woodcraft Rangers
Daisy Lewellyn, author of “Never Pay Retail Again”
Peter Gurski-Emmy Nominated Design Guru/Interior Designer
Alexandra Leighton-Actress & Model
Armando Torres-Underground Gallery
Kim Bradshaw-The Rella Group
Jeannette Godoy-Celebrity Stylist
Manuel Jackson-Ekqualyte Apparel
For more information on Woodcraft Rangers, log on to www.woodcraftrangers.org
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