This past Saturday on July 20 I had the pleasure and even more so the honor of attending Shorty’s Run the Runway back to school fashion show. I was blown away from the moment I was able to step into the Georgia Convention Center. The vibe of fashion, attitude, confidence and embracing one’s personal style was evident from the stage to the audience floor. This being from every little girl who sashayed her way down the hall to the young men who held their heads high as they gave their apparel the once over. First and foremost, I was overwhelmed with the air of self worth that flowed freely throughout the convention center. These little kids participating in Shorty’s Run the Runway had so much spunk I took a few notes, literally and figuratively.
The hosts of Shorty’s Run the Runway were actress, entertainer Ajiona Alexus and dj, entertainer and rapper T-REP. Ajiona, 17, and T-REP, 17, upheld the spirit and vibe of the entire show the entire time. They represented well from their clothes to their on stage presence. Everywhere I turned there was some man, woman, girl, boy dressed with style that seemed to outdo the next person and an attitude to match. When I speak on attitude, please do not get me wrong. This attitude I experienced was not the stick-up-your-nose-I’m-too-good-for-you attitude. This was something much more than that, while seeing it in person it is hard to put in words exactly. The best I can say is the attitude I saw coming off of these teenagers and preteens and even kids was an air of confidence and pride. Pride in what they were wearing, what they were marketing, what their talent was, and what they were being a part of.
The one thing this even represented was to uplift confidence in younger kids. Turning away from peer pressure can be difficult and not every person can accomplish that. Once thing I was able to sense from Shortys Run the Runway was those kids and teens that were in it were the ones that set the rules for what’s accepted and for individual representation and style. I learned a few tips in confidence from children younger than me. Trust me when I say that I thought that could never happen. It just goes to show that you are never too old to learn something new. What these kids and teens were teaching did not come out of any book. Honestly, I don’t know where else I could find it if not for seeing it myself. There were smiling faces, chins went up a little higher and backs a little straighter. The walks held more purpose in than ones I see from people over double of my age at times.
In my opinion people can gain confidence from their outward appearance. This is not to say that to feel accepted one must be shallow. I mean that fashion is an outward representation of a person’s inside personality, heart, mindset, etc. Shortys Run the Runway had the dual purpose of showcasing some late summer and fall fashions as well as the children behind the ideas of the show. After all, the production may have been sponsored by Ms. Juicy of the Ricky Smiley Morning Show and other clothing companies, such as Wal-Mart, yet the children, preteens and teenagers coordinated, helped promote and organized the event. I strongly believe there is a correlation between how a child feels about him or herself and how they perform. Take school for example; this show was a proving point that school can be about gaining a higher education and self expression. Talking with the hosts, the designers, the models and the performers only proved my point.
Hosts Ajiona and T-REP, even though they assured me it was not planned, had on complementing studded apparel. Ajiona rocked a shoulder studded black and white jacket over a tank and multi colored leggings. T-REP had his studs on a gold fitted hat and black and purple leather jacket. I tell you what the hosts were wearing not because I was envious of their fashion sense, but to tell you that this event was consistent in two things; fashion and confidence. That was one of the main points after all. The Shortys Run the Runway fashion show was a back to school extravaganza. People may not think twice about what a child wears in the classroom, but the child does. I am pretty confident that public school, be it middle or high school, is like another completely separate world. Everyone who went through it knows what I am talking about. High school especially is a rough world. Kids learn even more about the social latter and to a lot of them what goes on inside that building is as real and important as an adult’s bills, mortgage payment or career. What I mean to say is for a teenager or preteen in public school, that public school is the center of their world. In some cases, children spend more time around their classmates than their parents or siblings.
That’s just how it is in this day and age, especially when students not only go to class but now are involved in after school or extracurricular activities. That being said, this Shorty’s Run the Runway is a big deal because the students it target think that all the social exchanges, as well as learning, are a big deal. I asked the opinion of Ajiona and T-REP on the matter.
T-REP conversed about his own style, saying, “Nowadays it’s all about your style. Style plays a big part. Mine is vintage, urban professional. Like these kids, I speak through my clothes, because people may not always listen to my physical voice.”
Ajiona labeled her style as, “funky, edgy, like a trend setter of vintage clothing, but also classy.”
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Shorty’s Run the Runway hit two main points; it is more than ok and acceptable to be yourself and rock your style without letting others say or do things to bring you down. Ride out your own high for however long you want, because it is just that: it’s your high. It’s your confidence, it’s you opinion that matters and in the long run, it’s your life that will be affected. I was glad to mention that alongside the fashion show, there was a section on bullying and how to overcome it the negative vibes.
Speaker Kenny Pugh came onstage and talked about the effects of bullying, the signs of bullying, the emotional outcomes of bullying, and the ways to prevent and cease bullying. The close out message was one of unity; we cannot, as parents, as siblings, as people, turn our head in the other direction and just hope that everything will run its course. If you know of someone being bullied or the bully themselves, you have a responsibility as a person to do something about it. My parents told me violence was not a good solution…unless someone put their hands on me first. That was the old school way of teaching against bullies. To some people, that is till the new school way. What Pugh was saying was to start acting against bullying before we even get to the physical part. A child who is built strong mentally and maturely is a child that cannot be toppled down by any bully. Start on the inside. Start by building a child up from the inside out, so they will never have to lower themselves to a bully’s level and respond with violence first and common sense after the fact.
Pugh also focused on new school years mean new routines, new schedules and lots of change. However, let’s not overlook the condition our schools are in. Once more challenge children face is social media. Bullying has gone from face to face confrontation or behind the back gossip only to up close and personal harassment on the internet. Do you know how much damage a bully can do with Photoshop? Today’s generation have to deal with assaults and bullying coming from social media, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snap Shot, even Myspace if you’re really desperate. On top of it being online, children still have to deal with it in person, behind their backs, etc. The world is not made of bad things, but there are a lot of negative things that can come in touch with a child. Events like Shortys Run the Runway help fight back all the negative in the world. In my opinion, there is nothing much more positive than giving a child a chance and the teachings and the appreciation of expressing who they are and building their opinion of themselves into a higher and more positive thing. Support Shorty Run the Runway in the years to come. Enter your child in the event as a performer or model and watch their talent bloom.
Let me take a paragraph to explain a few things about bullying. I feel that it is my moral responsibility to share some facts about the issue since one of the main inspirations for sponsoring an event was uplift self esteem in children. According to DoSomething.org about two out of three teens are verbally or physically abused by other children/people their age or older. According to BullyingStatistics.org over 25% of young people have been harassed consistently via online mediums such as social network sites. As you can guess, a lot of these children fail to mention that they are being bullied to their parents. Unfortunately, it can go on undetected for large periods of time. Another statistic that I did not even think about was that girls are often more involved in cyber bullying than boys. Bullying can also include sexting (sending sexually explicit texts), spreading rumors, physically, emotionally, and can lead to depression, and in some extreme cases suicide. For more information on the definitions of bullying in all of its forms, what you as a younger person can do to rise above it, and what you are a parent can do to shelter your child from it, please visit http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-statistics.html.
A recently written and published on DigitalCommons.unl.edu about various studies that have been based around fashion, self esteem and positive performance in school. More on this study can be found at http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8706227. People may overlook the correlation between the two, but I can tell you that the facts are there front and center. Instead of dismissing the idea, do your own research on the outcomes of a child who feels great and therefore wants to do great things.
While interviewing the models in the show, I stumbled upon eight year old Berniya. I talked with her about her clothes (by the way she was very dressy in a green sparkle top and black lace tutu) and I spoke with her on how it makes her feel. Berniya told me, “I was nervous on stage […] I like my clothes. I feel good.” If her words didn’t clue me in on her emotions, her cheek to cheek smile certainly did.
The group TGZ performed a few songs on stage as the children in the Wal-Mart collection were modeling on stage. After their performance, I was able to speak with the young girls and ask them about their emotional state after the show and short term goals with Shortys. One member Tadaysha, 17, told me, “I designed the shorts for all the girls […] this event was fun, getting on the stage was fun and I want to do this again until I’m older than 18.” The age range for Shortys Run the Runway went from three to 18 years old.
Of the TGZ performing group each young lady had a double talent; one on stage and one behind the scenes. While talking to the 14 to 17 year olds, I learned that each member of the group either designed the outfit, such as Tadaysha, 17, who designed the unique shorts. The other members, Unique, Uquinta, Shantel, Ianni, Tikeria, and Kolbe contributed choreography, or stage blocking, etc to make the group what it is today. These ladies were not only conquering on the stage, but polite and fun-spirited on the main floor.
Concluding my interviews, which by this point turned into conversations with the teenagers and children in the show, I asked Ms. Juicy on her thoughts of the purpose of Shortys. When asked why she thought doing events such as Shortys Run the Runway was important for the young girls and boys in and surrounding Atlanta, Ms. Juicy stated that, “once [these kids] leave the show they go on to bigger and better things. One of our first year models went on to be a contestant on The Voice. It makes us feel good to build on self confidence.”
Coming full circle back to my point and the main purpose of this fashion show, I need to state one main thing; children need self confidence to build up and upkeep their sense of self worth. Children with high levels of self worth have a low tolerance for being peer pressured into anything they disagree with. Children who have a lower tolerance for being peer pressured into anything they disagree with have high rates of making positive decisions in their futures. Children who make positive decisions in their futures have more positive futures. Children who have more positive futures have a better chance of influencing younger children in positive ways. Children who influence others in more positive ways lead those children to have more positive attitudes about themselves. Children with positive attitudes about themselves have what? You guessed it; they have more confidence and self worth. It is a circle an unending cycle that will continue no matter if we, as in adults, decide to take part in it or not. Just because you think that something you do or don’t do will not make a difference with a child think again. It will. Shortys Run the Runway is a very positive thing that has made a difference already in the lives of not one, not two, probably not even 50, but more children. Shortys Run the Runway has been going on for three years and I am excited and supportive to its efforts that will only continue to grow in the future.
