BENTONVILLE, Ark. — NWA Fashion Week's opening night saw a wide variety of artists and models take to the runway to show off their designs, but one collection was focused more on the models than the fashion.
“I never thought that I would be a model in my wildest dreams…and just being here today is like a dream come true more so than anything I’ve ever experienced," said Skylar Conover, model in NWA Fashion Week.
The event kicked off Thursday, March 10th, with the spotlight on a cast of all transgender, non-binary, and intersex models. The show’s organizer, INTERFORM partnered with the Transgender Equality Network and The Transition Closet to bring visibility to this diverse cast with the models wearing clothes from The Transition Closet, a Fayetteville-based non-profit that provides free clothing to people transitioning genders.
“I’m one of 13 transgender, non-binary, and intersex models that will be walking today featuring clothes from the transition closet," said Transition Closet organizer Amare Roush.
Roush says the Thursday night show was also a fundraiser that benefited The Transition Closet.
“10% of the proceeds from ticket sales are going to be going to The Transition Closet and we are going to be using that to help fund our Big Binder Project which ships binders all over the US and the World," said Roush.
One of the featured models to walk the runway was Skylar Conover, a locally-based musician and trans woman. According to Conover, she was a late addition to the show, only being added to the line-up after her music gained popularity in December of 2021.
“Interform and Transition Closet actually partnered as a way to protest a lot of the anti-trans laws that are happening in Arkansas as well as just around the country," said Conover.
Conover says that visibility is crucial for the transgender community, adding that she believes much of the controversy surrounding transgender people stems from a lack of relationships and knowledge.
“When you don’t interact with people, you start to see them as different. You don’t see their humanity," said Conover. "We’re trying to kind of help to make it to where maybe they have more positive representation where they’re like, ‘Oh they’re just people, just human, just like me.”
Conover also says that despite the string of anti-trans legislation passed in the United States, she sees Thursday night’s show as progress and says there is much to be hopeful for in the future.
“You shouldn’t have to be brave to be who you are and we’re doing our best. We’re going to try to make the world a better place, a little bit safer for the community, so people don’t have to fear coming out and fear being who they are,” said Conover.
Skylar’s music was featured in the Thursday night show of NWA Fashion Week.
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