11 Feb Words Of Gratitude From A Proud Sponsor
If you ask people how they would define beauty, most would cite in some way that real beauty comes from within. We mean it when we say it, and when we know someone well enough to see it. Still, when we look into the mirror each day, how many of us notice the “imperfections” that are not visible to others, and rather than curse them, acknowledge that real beauty comes from within.
Unfortunately, we live in a world of constant judgement, forcing us to sometimes wear our first impressions on the outside. Flawless faces surround us on magazines, billboards, and screens. Cosmetic and surgical procedures can turn a frog into a prince these days, and we have social media to prove it.
We are constantly barraged with opportunities to compare ourselves to people all over the world. The ones who are apt to show face are seemingly uncannily attractive. So, how many of us are truly so enlightened as to habitually look beneath the surface and fully accept ourselves and others, flaws and all?
NYFW offers quite a playground for the fashion forward and fabulous, photographers snapping away at picture perfect people, runways dressed in flawless skin as much as fabrics and furs. It is a perfect time to forget that it’s the inner beauty that counts.
Designer Dana Donofree of AnaOno lingerie, though, with a fashion event like no other, dared to remind us, and also to show us that scars can certainly be quite attractive. On a runway walked by only stage four breast cancer survivors, “flaws” were of the highest fashion, and their owners were proud!
Cheered on by a packed room of supportive spectators, the wonderful runway models were eager to show the world that they were heroes to their circumstance and we could not have been more proud! It was a day in the lives of many women that they likely did not concern themselves a bit about bags or bulges, as those of us who had, cheered them on for their courage, their strength, and their willingness to walk on with such pride. They reminded us all that day that it is a luxury to worry about such things.
Through the valiant efforts and execution of events worldwide, the team at AnaOno have allowed so many women to discover for themselves how, in unwrapping their scars, they could free themselves to face the world shamelessly. We pray that this influential walk down the runway marks one of many incredible strides AnaOno will make in the years to come.
To all the breast cancer survivors ( ie. our superheroes) that we had the honor to meet and shared our Full Spectrum Hemp Extract with at NYFW and to the countless hard working volunteers who made this magical day happen, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for including us in this platform for change.
With Gratitude,
Shelby Stone on behalf of the Hemp&Heroes Team
Click here to see more photos from “Not Just One” benefiting www.MetaVivor.org