New York Fashion Week To Kick Off With Salute The Runway Event

(Photo : Facebook/Fatigues to Fabulous)

Next York Fashion Week is slated to begin in a very patriotic way next month.

Fifteen military service women will kick off New York Fashion Week on Sept. 3 during an event titled Salute the Runway.

This forthcoming fashion show is a culmination of a program that takes place at military bases throughout the U.S. that aims to raise awareness of the difficulties military servicewomen are faced with as they transition back to civilian life. The program is sponsored by Little Black Dress Wines and Fatigues to Fabulous.

'This campaign is a wonderful opportunity to support female veterans throughout the country,' Leslie Nicole Smith, a retired Army captain who will walk in the show and is also the campaign spokeswoman, told WWD.

'By joining together with Little Black Dress Wines, we are able to raise awareness of the issues surrounding women veteran reintegration, acknowledge their heroic service, and highlight the versatility of the little black dress and how this wardrobe staple can help women veterans' transition from military service.'

The 15 women participating in Salute the Runway are both veterans and active-duty members of the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Each woman will walk down the runway in a variation of the little black dress designed by a slew of different fashion houses, including DKNY, Calvin Klein, Carmen Marc Valvo and Mara Hoffman.

'It's an honor to contribute to this initiative in support of such strong, modern-day warrior women - individuals who have taken the path less chosen and devoted themselves to a life of bravery and selflessness,' Hoffman told WWD.

Other Salute the Runway shows have taken place on military bases throughout the country, such as Fort Bliss in El Paso, Fort Hood in Killeen, Tex., and joint base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Wash., the NorthWest Guardian reported.

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