Breast Cancer Thrivers Take The Catwalk In Lingerie For NYFW

New York Fashion Week (NYFW) isn’t just about showing up to the hottest parties and looking fabulous, it’s about the people who inhabit this city, and give it a pulse. As part of a tribute to the people of New York, Arts Hearts Fashion is hosting the second annual lingerie show featuring models who are breast cancer patients and thrivers.

#Cancerland: a New York based non-profit dedicated to changing the conversation about metastatic breast cancer, in conjunction with AnaOno, a lingerie label and loungewear line designed for women living with breast cancer, puts on the annual event. Breast cancer advocate and Academy Award winner, Mira Sorvino hosts the show.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to show that these inspiring individuals walking our runway are no different than any other person walking New York Fashion Week, or sitting in the audience or even riding the subway or walking into your neighborhood coffee shop,” says AnaOno designer and breast cancer thriver, Dana Donofree.

The show is dedicated to celebrating the lives of women who are living with varying stages of cancer. Models include athletes, musicians, educators, and activists from ages 20 to 50. Donofree adds, “We want to show that whether you have been diagnosed with breast cancer or have a genetic marker, have breasts or have none, have visible scarring or even tattoos in place of nipples, it doesn’t matter. You are still empowered, strong and sexy.”

The show, which will take place on Sunday, February 11, at the Angel Orensanz Center in the Lower East Side is designed to bring awareness to the reality of breast cancer. While doing so, it redefines what it means to be a woman who is a breast cancer patient.

Every woman deserves to feel beautiful and sexy, an aim of AnaOno’s lingerie and loungewear line. Pieces in the line are especially designed for women undergoing radiation treatments. Additionally, find post-operative pieces, and pieces fabricated to ease discomfort associated with breast cancer.

But more than provide intimates that offer comfort and beauty to women, the line is designed to build community and let breast cancer patients know that they are not alone.

For more information on purchasing tickets to the invite-only show, visit EventBrite.

About the author

Jill Di Donato

Fashion Editor

Jill is a New York native who holds a BA in Literature from Barnard College, and an MFA in writing from Columbia University. She is the author of the novel Beautiful Garbage (She Writes Press, 2013) about the downtown Manhattan art and fashion scene in the 1980s. A former staff writer for The Huffington Post and Bustle, Jill comes to Culture Trip after working with Refinery 29, Vice, Salon, Paste Style, Los Angeles Times, Nylon, Shopify, Autre, and producing content for emerging fashion labels. She teaches classes about fashion and culture at Barnard College and The Fashion Institute of Technology. Her prized possessions are her Gucci fanny pack, vintage rocker t-shirts, and her grandmother's collection of costume jewelry. She's always on the lookout for a gem-encrusted turban.