I'm a sucker for charitable causes with an artistic flair, and The Uniform Project is particularly adorable. Sheena Matheiken (pictured) has vowed to wear the same dress every day for a year with the goal of sending an underprivileged Indian child to school for a year.
It's actually seven versions of the same dress, one for each day of the week; I'm assuming this is for cleanliness's sake. Each day, Matheiken posts a Cindy Sherman-esque photo of what she's wearing and drops a dollar in her virtual tip jar. After a year, she'll donate it to the Akanksha Foundation, which raises money for uniforms and other school expenses for children in Indian slums. Meanwhile, you can rate her ensembles as batty, brave, hot, cute, or "try harder."
The whole thing is pretty brave, if you ask me. To see what Matheiken has to say about her endeavor, read more.
The project was partly inspired by Matheiken's own childhood in India, spent wearing countless school uniforms and trying to suit them to her own style. But this time, she's also trying to be eco-conscious:
"Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accoutrements, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies."
By the end of the year, the Uniform Project tip jar will have enough money to send one child to school for a year. But you can also donate to the cause to add even more. Since a majority of you said you would go naked for a few hours a day to save the earth, would you wear the same dress for 365 days to send a kid to school?
Roberto Cavalli
Flash Lights
Rick Owens
what a really unique idea, I hope she is successful in raising awareness and money
1It's a wonderful cause but it would be nice if she (and you) acknowledged those who pioneered the idea, like the brown dress project.
And that lady only had one dress!
2It is a cute idea with a cause.
3As for where it originated, I once heard someone suggest the best way to non-conform and fight consumerism would be to fill your closet with the same black t-shirt. I've thought about it...
I love when people do things on their own for a cause...it's such a rewarding experience, even if you only raise a small amount of money or help one person. No matter if she got the idea from somewhere else, she is doing something solely to bring awareness to a concern/problem and to benefit others. Lots of people doing little actions add up! Love it!
4I'm not saying to dismiss her entirely because it's not an original concept, just that she ought to give credit. And press about the project ought not imply it's an original idea.
5These photos aren't Cindy Sherman-esque at all. At least not Untitled Film Stills, but it's not Fairy Tales and Disasters either
Not knocking the project (great idea), just the editorial content.
6but she isnt wearing one dress for one year, she is wearing one dress over other clothes for one year.
7I think the point is that she's not buying all sorts of un-needed stuff and is, instead donating that money to this fund. I think it's a really cool idea. It does force you to have to be a bit more creative with what you have
8"but she isnt wearing one dress for one year, she is wearing one dress over other clothes for one year."
That was my exact thought lol! She has a "donate accessories" section on her website...if you're going to donate your old stuff, give it directly to people who actually *need* it and if you're going to buy her new accessories, just donate the money directly to a cause!
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