Featured, News

As Fannie Joyce Mayfield stepped onto the patio at the Downtown Women’s Center on Monday wearing a bright pink dress, a dozen women outside began to cheer. They clapped and whistled as Mayfield spun in circles and posed, grinning wider than the Cheshire Cat.

Crystal Prince Jones, a model in Saturday’s fashion show benefitting the Women’s Center, says the experience has boosted her confidence. (photo by Ian Lovett)

“I love this,” Mayfield said. “I love this outfit. I can’t wait. I am the model of change. I’ve never worn makeup, never had my hair colored, never had my hair cut. I’m ready for the chance, and I’m ready to keep it going.”

Mayfield is one of two dozen women participating in Project Rejuvenation, a charity fashion show this Saturday at 385 N. La Cienega Blvd that will feature homeless and transitional women as models. The women will be given full makeovers and will be chauffeured to the event in limousines.

Three nonprofit organizations — Gladtees.com, the Ruby May Staine Foundation, and Nest Feathers — have combined to stage the Project Rejuvenation. Lilian Raven, president of Gladtees.com, said she was inspired to put on the fashion show by her own experience with homelessness.

“I’ve been in the position they are in,” Raven said. “I never thought I would be homeless. Nobody ever thinks they will be homeless. But it happens to people — and we are people.”

Raven said she was eventually taken in by a relative, which helped her get back on her feet.

“I’m now back on solid ground, everything is rosy, and it’s really easy to forget and just keep moving forward,” Raven said. “I wanted to do something to give back. It would be easy to have models get up there and raise money for charity, but I wanted the women themselves to benefit. We’re working to make them feel that someone cared about them enough to do this, and hopefully that will give them the extra strength to fight to get their lives on track.”

In addition to the makeovers, a professional makeup artist held seminars on self-confidence, and taught the women how to walk on the catwalk.

For most of the women, Project Rejuvenation will be the first time they’ve ever modeled. Marina Rodriguez, however, said she had done some modeling in her younger days, even appearing in a commercial for the Academy Awards, before a car accident left her paralyzed for four months.  Now 50 years old, before the fitting on Monday, it had been eight years since Rodriguez had worn a dress.

“I have a dress on!” Rodriguez exclaimed, as the other women cheered when she emerged from the fitting room. “I didn’t think I could fit into a dress again. I feel really great, I feel loved.”

Rodriguez said she began coming to the Women’s Center several years ago, when she was living in her car. Though she now has her own apartment in Echo Park, she continues to come to the Women’s Center to volunteer in the kitchen, and to take classes. A number of the other women live at the shelter next door.

“I would come to take showers, and the other women would show me love,” Rodriguez said. “They didn’t discriminate against us here, and they helped me pay my first month’s rent when I got a place to live. They always gave me support. You’re always welcome when you come here.”

Raven acknowledged, however, that outside the Women’s Center, the stigma against homelessness remains deeply ingrained. Because ticket sales have been sluggish, she and the other organizers have helped cover the costs of putting on the show. In addition, she said one of the limo since companies she tried to hire refused to take the job when he found out the women were homeless or in transition.

Still, Raven remains convinced that the boost of confidence the show would give the women was worth whatever the cost might be. When she asked some of them how they felt after the morning seminars, the women extolled their newfound self-esteem.

“When I first came here, I used to walk on the sidewalk with my head down,” said Dorothy Dohdes. “These guys were telling me, ‘lift your head, look straight ahead when you walk.’ And when I walk down the sidewalk I’m going to walk with my head held high, even if I’m going to trip.”

Louise Mballa, another of the models, said the seminar made her feel “like a person.”  Mballa said she was taking a business class at the women’s center, and hoped to start an online business selling jewelry.

Raven told the women, “When we give to you our time and our resources, we are hoping those are the seeds that will be planted in you to help you grow. That’s so great. And what we’d really, really love is, when you get yourself into a position to help somebody else, that you do that.”

The Project Rejuvenation Displaced Women’s Fashion Show will be held Saturday, May 22 from non – 4:00pm at 385 N. La Cienega Blvd. For tickets, or more information, contact Lilian Raven at (323)338-2737. Tickets cost $40.