Slaves Of The Extraordinary

The day we thought would never come, suddenly creeped out of nowhere.  Models, designers and hair and make up artists gathered by the dozen to prepare for a night that has been the focus of our efforts for a very long time.  

As many of you may know, our team have been working endlessly over the past months to bring you INSPIRED – A charity event by Mayamiko Trust in collaboration with Slaves of the Extraordinary.

And extraordinary it was.  Over 300 people gathered at The Roof Gardens, Kensington to enjoy the spectacle of the INSPIRED fashion show in one of the cities most beautiful locations. The event raised funds to build a sustainable skills and production centre in Lilongwe, Malawi, where currently Mayamiko trainees, most of them HIV positive, learn and work outdoors.

The night was a successful symbiosis of charity, ethical fashion, music and dance promoting the works of Mayamiko Trust, raising funds in support of such works and showcasing the amazing talents of fantastic designers, dancers, artists and musicians.

Catwalks on the night included ASOS Africa, Offset Warehouse – styled by ethical stylist Lucy Harvey, Lauren Solomon of Slaves of the Extraordinary, Christi Jacobs with Fashion Compassion and African Fashion Week rising stars Mia Nisbet, Kenema and Bestow Elan. Other entertainment on the night included performance from BatuSamba and EIC Dance theatre as well as a DJ set by Michelle Cade.

Among guests were BBC Apprentice and sustainable fashion entrepreneur, Paloma Vivanco who later tweeted ‘[I’m] very inspired with the work you are doing in Malawi. You should be very proud.’

There were plenty of opportunities for guests to support the Charity, one of them being a fabulous raffle that raised over £400. Prizes included donated pieces from the designers collections as well as wonderful prizes from ASOS, QVC, Lush, Made, Hit Entertainment, The Ethical Fashion Forum, Ethical Stylist, Divine Chocolate and Kazan Restaurant.  

In her closing speech, Paola Masperi told the audience: ‘We wanted everyone to walk away with the knowledge that however small, change is possible and it affects people’s lives in a very real way.’

The event may be over, but you can still help the charity by text donations with Vodafone and Just Giving.  All you need to do, is text Maya11 followed by the amount (£1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10) to 70070.

We hope you enjoyed the show…More pictures coming soon!!