Eco Fashion World

MS.OCTOBER

The Uniform Project (U.P) started in 2009 when Sheena Matheiken pledged to wear the same Little Black Dress for an entire year as a creative fundraiser. After Sheena's 365 days came to a close last May, having raised over $100k for the Akanksha Foundation, supporters of the project let her know that they wanted more. As a result, the U.P launched Year Two: 1 Dress. 1 Month. 1 Cause. The 1st of every month U.P will unveil a new girl wearing her ideal version of the staple LBD, designed in collaboration with U.P to raise funds for a cause of her choice.

This month, U.P recruited Isis Salam, former front woman of the Canadian duo Thunderheist, who is currently wrapping up her debut solo album. Isis' ideal dress had to have stage presence, be photo op-ready, and have lounge-in-the-studio ability. It's a basic, pullover LBD made of a stretchy organic cotton, organic wool and Lycra jersey knit. Isis will be raising money for the One Laptop Per Child cause, which provides rugged, low-cost, low power XO laptops to children in developing countries.

I asked U.P how they choose the girls they are featuring in the Year Two project. U.P said "The success of each challenge depends hugely on bringing fresh energy and style to the platform every month. We choose pilots with a unique point of view that people will want to follow for a month. So far we’ve had India, who started college during the challenge, Lesley, a blogger, writer, and author, and now Isis, an MC (emcee), musician, and producer. All have totally different personalities and styles that elicit a lot of great comments on our site!"

When I asked them why they chose Isis Salam specifically, U.P replied, "Isis is a firecracker. When Sheena first met her last year, she was completely smitten by her spunk and effortless style. She’s also a gorgeous and determined young woman, totally focused on the success of her career in the music industry. We knew she would be a natural on our platform and win many hearts."

Isis was kind enough to take a break from work on her album to answer a few questions—

MS.OCTOBER

EFW: How and why did you choose to get involved with The Uniform Project?

IS: I don’t think I really chose to be a part of The U.P, I believe the project chose me. It was a fluke meeting with the originator Sheena, while shooting a video with Drop The Lime for a Bacardi B-live remix project. Two seconds after meeting we realized we had the same haircut and it was love at first site! Over burgers and beers she explained a little about the project and a few months later I was Ms. October!

MS.OCTOBER

EFW: Tell me about your experience with the project so far.

IS: So far it’s been wonderful! Not only do I get to challenge myself creatively but I also get to make a difference. This isn’t me just throwing money at a cause- each day I’m in this dress and it’s like I’m back home with these kids - the dress is my constant reminder of what the larger picture is.

MS.OCTOBER

EFW: Why did you choose the One Laptop Per Child cause?

IS: I wanted to go a step beyond providing basic food and water. I was born in Nigeria and I know that we have the capabilities to catch up with the rest of the world. We have a booming film industry and a vibrant culture. Once these kids have the food and water, what next? These kids need the tools to actually communicate in the same language as the rest of the kids their age in more developed countries. Who knows, maybe the next step is getting Skype to set up a pen pal program- technology’s ability to connect people and open lines of communication can have a profound impact on our world; just look at Facebook.

MS.OCTOBER

EFW: Could you share some of your personal styling tips with our readers?

IS: This project has taught me that the easiest way to put together an amazing and effortless outfit is by laying out your garments. Group things together based on what they are - kind of like your own personal store. Once you gain that clarity your brain automatically starts matching things up! I’ve actually started making a game of it…but then again I’m just silly like that.

MS.OCTOBER

EFW: Tell us a little about your upcoming Solo project.

IS: As for my solo project. I’ve steered a bit away from the obvious club focused material. Just think Joy Division being fronted by Betty Davis. I want to remind people that you can still dance even if the track isn’t submerged in chainsaw synth sounds! I’m writing all the lyrics like usual and this time I’m also getting a chance to co-write the music which is a whole new world for me and I often find I feel like a kid in a candy store when I walk into gear shops- my only worry is I will go bankrupt buying gear and clothing! I guess you could say the U.P project came along just in time, I've found a way to spend less but gain more - thanks U.P!

Each U.P LBD is conceived as part of a social mission. The pilot series dresses are the staple and canvas for the U.P pilots’ month long fundraiser. During the month, U.P releases the pilot’s dress via their online store . The dresses are pre-sold then produced, so the quantity they make for each edition is directly based on demand. The limited edition runs are capped at 200-250 pieces.

Every woman needs a LBD and The Uniform Project dresses are sustainable, versatile and 10% of each purchase goes to charity (there is a limited edition of each pilots' dress being sold online at www.theuniformproject.com). Follow ISIS this month .

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/Hide comments

Show/Hide comment form