All of our models had been affected by breast cancer and kindly volunteered their time to take part in this lovely evening. It was an evening to champion them and we would like to thank each and every person who came together to do exactly that.
Our amazing events guru Shopie organised the fashion show with John Lewis raising over two thousand pounds! There were over 120 guests and 12 models showcasing Autumn, outer and party wear. The incredible support from John Lewis made this all possible, they were a dream team to work with showing their care and dedication from start to finish. We were blown away by the amount of time and resources they donated to help the event come together. Our models had their hair and makeup done by the wonderful beauty department and GHD. All outfits were expertly chosen by the personal stylists where they were given advice they could carry forward. As well as all food and drink was provided throughout the day. All of these lovely touches meant our models felt really special and after giving their time it was really important we were able to give something back to them.
The show was located at ‘The Place to Eat’ dining area where the space underwent a huge transformation in less than a few hours. From spectacular personalised gold dividers creating a backstage area, a light wall for our models to step out onto the runway in front of to bright fragmented geometric shapes lining the runway, every detail was covered. Of course, there was also the logistic of bringing all the models clothes to a different floor along with more than 120 chairs! What a fantastic team!
Each guest was greeted with a glass of complimentary prosecco or orange juice, thanks to the fantastic catering team. Guests mingled before taking their seats lining the runway. Our fantastic models strutted in Autumn, outer and partywear – the photos speak for themselves! A special thanks go to Chelsey, Will and Rob for sharing their stories.
It was a powerful evening where all who attended were touched to watch these incredible people being championed and see the impact our small but mighty charity makes. We are so fortunate to be able to do events that bring our community together and are continuously so grateful for everyone’s support.
”It was an absolute privilege to be involved with the Little Lifts fashion show, the models were so brave and inspiring. The evening was filled with so many emotions for both those involved and the audience which created a truly special and magical event. We loved working with everyone at Little Lifts and can’t wait to do it again next year” – Laura Gray, John Lewis
Following quotes are from our wonderful models who are either beneficiaries or family of beneficiaries.
“I wanted to take part in the fashion show as I always love to give back. Little Lifts have always helped me to feel cared for and I am always eager to give back and help out. I also wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone. Since having breast cancer my confidence has not been the same and I felt ready to get a bit of myself back. The fashion show, John Lewis and the team at Little Lifts have all helped me to get that confidence back and the day was very special.” – Sadie Greef
“You may know I lost my wife, Natalie, to cancer in 2019 and have now in September this year also lost my wonderful daughter, Alice, to this cruel disease. Both Natalie and Alice benefited from gift boxes from little lifts during their hospital treatments and my contribution to little lifts activities is just a small recompense for the kindness and generosity they and I received at a very difficult time in our lives. I was delighted to be asked to become involved in the fashion show which I thoroughly enjoyed both on the night and in particular during the hours of fun we all had in the lead up to the show itself. Meeting and working together with such a dedicated group of motivated, thoughtful and caring young people was truly uplifting and the show itself captured the thrill of some spectacular modelling performances. Feedback from the audience was exceedingly positive and confirms the space for a repeat show in future programmes. Looking forward to it. With thanks, Graham. XX” – Graham Upson
“I took part in the fashion show, as I wanted to give back to a charity that helped me during both chemotherapy and radiotherapy during a time when support was limited due to the pandemic. I loved the whole event, being styled by John Lewis prior to the night, just having a fun time with everyone involved, and the support from the crowd.” – Sarah Gosling
“I volunteered to model in the Little Lifts fashion show to give my ongoing support to Little Lifts and to challenge myself by pushing me well outside my comfort zone. Since finishing cancer treatment, I have struggled to accept the “New me” with scars and all and felt now was the time to embrace “me”!! I was so nervous, however the fashion show was an amazing experience. Modelling with such a fantastic group of people was a humbling and inspiring experience. Thank you to all at Little Lifts and John Lewis for enabling me to be part of it. Xx” – Sarah Goddard
Lydia, Andrea, Mark, Emily, Laura and the rest of the John Lewis team thank you for hosting such a special evening for us this breast cancer awareness month. Some extra massive thanks go to James Rouse and Rose Kemmy for their beautiful photography. To Steve’s PA hire for providing us with excellent sound and expertise. Our lovely volunteers who helped the evening to run and our very special guests for cheering our models on!
