From refugee camp to runway: A St. Louis fashion show unlike any other | Fashion
Rebecca Rai poses for a photographer on Saturday, May 1, 2021, a runway walk for the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Rai wears a design from SistersÕ Collection, a Nepali owned dress shop. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
Rebecca Bakole, left, undergoes final adjustments by volunteer stylist Martha Samal before she takes to the runway on May 1 at the inaugural Revival Runway fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Bakole wears a design from Sisters’ Collection, a Nepali-owned dress shop.
Model Coco Nkurunziza gets her makeup prepared by Aloha Mischeaux on Saturday, May 1, 2021, before she dresses for the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
Rebecca Rai straightens the hem on Manju Bhattari’s dress as Bhattari prepares to model the dress from Sisters’ Collection at the Revival Runway fashion show.
Models do a final group runway walk wearing design from Sisters’ Collection on May 1 during the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show.
Models do a final group runway walk wearing the creations of St. Louis designer Brandin Vaughn during the Revival Runway international fashion show.
Rebecca Bakole, age 18, from Congo, wearing Brandin Vaughn Collection.
Rebecca Rai from Nepal, owner of Sisters Collection, wears a sari from her online boutique.
Photo courtesy of Samuel Samal
Diana Fiokou, 14, from Togo, is wearing a dress from Nepali owned business, Sisters’ Collection.
Photo courtesy of Jervais Johnson
Rebecca Rai, 26, was born in a refugee camp in Nepal and grew up in a mud and bamboo home with 11 people. She longed for colorful lenghas and traditional Nepali dresses as a child but could not dream of owning them.
Last month, aspiring models strutted down a runway in lavish outfits from her online clothing boutique.
Designer showcase fashions at the Revival Runway show at Intersect Arts Center.
Rai was one of the immigrant and refugee women whose work was showcased in the Revival School Saint Louis and Intersect Arts Center’s fashion show. The event launched a new collaboration among designers, photographers and models called Revival Runway. Organizers hoped to raise awareness and funding for the program and to recruit new mentors and students, according to Mike Ramsey, executive director of Revival School.
It also gave women like Rai a chance to shine.
Her parents left Bhutan in 1992, during a time when more than 100,000 ethnic Nepalese were driven out of the country. In the camps, they received monthly rations of rice, sugar, salt and vegetables every couple of weeks. They had meat once a year.
From left, Arati Bhandari, Rebecca Rai and Manju Bhattari check photos after posing for selfies as they get set to model in the Revival Runway fashion show. The three, all Nepalese, wear designs from Sisters’ Collection, Rai’s online dress shop.
Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
“There wasn’t enough food,” Rai said. Her uncle raised a pig to make extra money, and her family learned to sew. Her home never had running water or electricity. She had never left the camp until she turned 18.
That year her family was granted refugee status to immigrate to St. Louis.
Rai attended Gateway STEM High School and then took classes at St. Louis Community College toward a nursing career. But her dream was always to become a businesswoman. She borrowed $200 from her mother so she could order clothes from India. She resold them to the immigrant community here.
In 2019, her sister opened a boutique, Sisters’ Collection, on Chippewa Street and Grand Boulevard. Rebecca, who co-managed the store, sourced additional outfits from Nepal. Due to the pandemic, the storefront closed in March, but Rai continued her business online.
A distant dream is becoming more of a reality.
Adeline Lunanga, 19, also walked in the Revival show — in her own designs. Her family owned a clothing shop in Burundi, which shut down during the years-long civil war. She was 14 when they came to St. Louis as war refugees.
Adeline Lunanga, 19, is wearing a dress she made. She was 14 when her family came to St. Louis as war refugees.
Lunanga attended Soldan High School, then enrolled in community college classes. She also works at a factory. In the show, she walked the runway with her 1-year-old son, who wore an outfit that matched her own.
“I feel so good, proud of myself,” she said. “I didn’t know that one day I was going to do that kind of clothes.”
She’s the type of talent that designer Brandin Vaughn hopes to encourage. Vaughn, owner of the Brandin Vaughn Collection, has had his own line for five years and a retail store for the past three years.
Isobel Ramsey, right, waits backstage before she and other volunteer models take to the runway at the Revival Runway fashion show. All of the women are wearing designs from Sisters’ Collection. Designer Brandin Vaughn (far left in background) has been involved as a mentor with Revival Runway, helping students get paid internships and producing an earlier show and fundraiser a couple of years ago.
He has been involved as a mentor with Revival Runway, helping students get paid internships and producing an earlier show and fundraiser a couple of years ago. He’s on the board of Black in St. Louis Fashion and intends on drawing more support for the project from there. He plans to offer sewing design classes in the fall. Baby Lock donated three sewing machines for potential students.
“It feels like the beginning of something great,” he said.
“As I was coming up (in the fashion industry), I didn’t have a professional to help me,” Vaughn said. “I’m being the example I wish I had had.”
He added that many people don’t realize the various ways they can make a living in the fashion industry.
Ngohile Yakubu has discovered how to turn a flair for fashion into a successful side business.
Ngohile Yakubu from Nigeria walked the runway for Brandin Vaughn and Sisters Collection.
Photo courtesy of Kay Marie at Perfective Photos
She created and runs an online site called Leyla’s Kloset, featuring her thrift store finds, as a passion project. She immigrated to St. Louis with her family from Nigeria in 2013. She started taking classes at St. Louis Community College, eventually transferring to St. Louis University and earning a degree in Health Information Management. Yakubu works as a product analyst for Centene. She has channeled her love for fashion and modeling into her site.
In the show, she walked the runway for Brandin Vaughn and Sisters Collection.
Model Claudia “Coco” Nkurunziza, 18, from Congo is wearing Brandin Vaughn Collection.
Photo courtesy of Emma Connell
“I like the whole idea of giving immigrant women a chance to showcase their talent and grow in that area,” she said.
For Rai, expanding her online business is her next step. She will be getting married later this summer and moving to Ohio, where her fiance lives.
When she was growing up in the refugee camp in Nepal, she was able to buy one new outfit a year.
Now, through her business, her closet is always stocked.
“I can wear whatever I want now,” Rai said.
Photos: Intersect Arts Center hosts first Revival Runway show
First-annual Revival fashion show
Adeline Lunanga enters the runway on Saturday, May 1, 2021, at the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Lunanga wears a design from SistersÕ Collection, a Nepali owned dress shop. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Rebecca Rai poses for a photographer on Saturday, May 1, 2021, a runway walk for the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Rai wears a design from SistersÕ Collection, a Nepali owned dress shop. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Models do a final group runway walk on Saturday, May 1, 2021, wearing design from SistersÕ Collection, a Nepali owned dress shop during the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Model Coco Nkurunziza models a dress on the runway on Saturday, May 1, 2021, during the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Models do a final group runway walk on Saturday, May 1, 2021, wearing the creations of St. Louis designer Brandin Vaughn during the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
St. Louis designer Brandin Vaughn walks the runway after showing his creations on Saturday, May 1, 2021, during the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
The artist, Christelle performs on Saturday, May 1, 2021, during in interlude of the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Arati Bhandari, left center, and Manju Bhattari high-five on Saturday, May 1, 2021, as volunteer stylist Martha Samal, preps them for walking in the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Models here present designs from Sisters’ Collection, a Nepali owned dress shop. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Meosha Mason walks the runway on Saturday, May 1, 2021, wearing a creation by Brandin Vaughn at the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Adeline Lunanga poses for photographers on Saturday, May 1, 2021, before modeling in the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Arati Bhandari, left, Rebecca Rai and Manju Bhattari sit for photographers on Saturday, May 1, 2021, as they get set to model in the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. The three, all Nepalese, wear designs from SistersÕ Collection, a Nepali owned dress shop. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Volunteer stylist Martha Samal preps models on Saturday, May 1, 2021, before they walk in the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Models here present designs from SistersÕ Collection, a Nepali owned dress shop. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Meosha Mason, center, preps with other models before taking the runway on Saturday, May 1, 2021, in the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show featuring immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Models here present designs from SistersÕ Collection, a Nepali owned dress shop. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
A model walks the runway on Saturday, May 1, 2021, wearing a creation by Brandin Vaughn at the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Diana Fiokou walks the runway on Saturday, May 1, 2021, wearing a creation by Brandin Vaughn at the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Volunteer stylist Martha Samal, right, finishes Arati Bhandari’s headdress on Saturday, May 1, 2021, as they prepare for the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Bhandari wears a design from SistersÕ Collection, a Nepali owned dress shop. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Rebecca Bakole, left, undergoes final adjustments by volunteer stylist Martha Samal, right on Saturday, May 1, 2021, before she takes to the runway at the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Bakole wears a design from SistersÕ Collection, a Nepali owned dress shop. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Model Coco Nkurunziza gets her makeup prepared by Aloha Mischeaux on Saturday, May 1, 2021, before she dresses for the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
From left, Arati Bhandari, Rebecca Rai and Manju Bhattari check photos after posing for selfies as they get set to model in the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show on May 1 showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. The three, all Nepalese, wear designs from Sisters’ Collection, a dress shop owned by Rai.
Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Rebecca Rai straightens hymn on Manju Bhattari on Saturday, May 1, 2021, as they dress for the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. Bhattari wears a design from SistersÕ Collection, a Nepali owned dress shop. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
First-annual Revival fashion show
Isobel Ramsey, right, waits backstage on Saturday, May 1, 2021, before she and other volunteer models take to the runway at the inaugural Revival Runway international fashion show showcasing immigrant and refugee women of the city at Intersect Arts Center. All the women are wearing designs from SistersÕ Collection, a Nepali owned dress shop. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]
“As I was coming up (in the fashion industry), I didn’t have a professional to help me. I’m being the example I wish I had had.”
Designer Brandin Vaughn