Christian Fashion Week is a movement that advocates and celebrates four key elements of change within both the Church and the fashion industry. These elements are encapsulated in the acronym. C.A.R.E., which stands for:
Beyond policing hemlines and cleavage, we believe in freedom of expression through fashion while paying attention to the context of that expression. We believe in scripture and moderation, not tradition or legalism.
Millions of families and individuals in the world do not have the money to buy clothes for themselves or their children. As an industry we must work to cloth our world affordably with garments that will last.
Clothing our bodies should not require us to abuse and destroy animals, wildlife, and our world's precious resources. Yet, the textile manufacturing industry is one of the world's biggest polluters.
No one should profit from the abuse of human beings for the purpose of sex or labor. As an industry, we must work to expose practices that include poor work conditions, sex trafficking, and child labor.
To effectively stand for these principles, we apply a three step approach. The first step is education. Through a combination of information distribution through our web presence and real-time live workshops, Christian Fashion Week aims to educate and raise awareness of the stories behind the glamorous fashion industry, where life is seldom as beautiful. The second step involves activism. We strive to create ways for supporters and those who care to spread awareness of critical issues and become a part of the solution. Finally, our third step is through fashion shows, showcasing designers from all over the world who insist on the most ethical forms of conceptualization, manufacturing, and retailing of their creations.
Very early in our journey, we realized that there was no such thing as Christian fashion. We also realized that much of the emphasis within the Church where fashion was concerned involved a warped teaching about modesty that was nowhere supported in scripture. Although we still advocated for modesty in our first two years, we grew weary of supporting the shallow stance against short hemlines, form fitting garments, and cleavage. Biblically, the position is unsupported and in all likelihood the furthest thing from the mind of God.
Christian Fashion Week moves in parallel to the mission of Christ when He explained, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free"
Followers of Christ are about people, especially the weak, the poor, the abused, the hurting, the broken, and those without a voice. Christian Fashion Week follows His example and answers His call to be a voice for them and to advocate for change.
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