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CHICAGO — My Block, My Hood, My City is hosting a pop-up fashion show on the Red Line this weekend.
The youth-inspired organization will host Railways, a fashion show on a private train, on Saturday. The fashion show will take place 3-4:30 p.m. Saturday. The show starts at the Howard Red Line Station, 7519 N. Paulina St., and the train will travel from the North Side to South Side. Tickets are $100 and include light refreshments and snacks. You can buy tickets and get more information at their website.
Lady Sanders, program coordinator at My Block, My Hood, My City and one of the fashion designers, said hosting the show on a private train was a dream for founder Jahmal Cole. Now that the group has a bigger team and more financial support, that dream is finally coming true, Sanders said.
“This is something that no one has done,” Sanders said. “I mean, come on, who’s been to a fashion show on a train? It’s just an experience for everyone in the city of Chicago.”
Sanders and community organizer Devonta Boston designed My Block, My Hood, My City gear that has a different logo. The goal was to make clothing that would appeal to everyone, Sanders said.
“Some people don’t like a T-shirt,” Sanders said. “Some people want shorts. Some people want a crop top. We’re trying to fit the desires of people who love us.”
But at the heart of the fashion show are the students in the Explorers Program, an initiative that brings youth in divested neighborhoods to different areas in the city.
With a few students signed up to model the clothing and others to sing, Sanders said the fashion show is a chance to put their talents on display for the city to witness.
“I want the youth to have fun, and I want them to feel inspired after,” Sanders said. “I want them to meet people, introduce themselves and brag on themselves. I always tell them to brag on themselves when they’re around people they don’t know because you never know who you might run into.”
Music, poetry and fashion are all on the bill for the show, but Sanders said the main purpose of the event is to have fun.
“This is big for My Block, My Hood, My City because it’s another unique way for us to bring communities together to showcase all of our hard work and how far our founder and CEO has come,” Sanders said. “You’re going to have fun. You’re going to see some things you’ve never seen before. It’s going to be a great experience.”
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