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Oh, the classic little black dress - the go-to outfit for any type of event for women across the globe. Yet, would you wear your black dress everyday for a whole year? In 2009, Sheena Matheiken did just that - for reasons that extend beyond stylish appeal.
In an exercise of sustainable fashion, Matheiken wore her little black dress daily, but with a catch: she had to create a new look each day. Aiming to alter her looks everyday, she resorted to heavily accessorizing with handmade, vintage, reused or donated pieces.
This challenge took on greater meaning when Matheiken decided to raise money for the Akanksha Foundation, a nonprofit that provides education to needy children in the slums of India.
With Sheena posting pictures of her creative outfits daily on the site, the Uniform Project was launched. Gaining a lot of exposure for the project, Matheiken was able to raise over $100,000 in donations for the Akanksha Foundation over the course of a year.
The Uniform Project is in phase two now, presenting the Pilot Series - a monthly series of mini-challenges, featuring the model of one dress for one month for one cause. Each month, the Uniform Project selects a different person to don a new dress for a month, while raising money for their charity of choice.
If you are jonesing for your own little black dress, the Uniform Project sells a variety of cool organic threads, with a portion of the proceeds going to designated charities. [Source: Uniform Project]
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