The most recent fashion show in Florence, Italy Pitti Uomo was no ordinary event.  Now, normally when one thinks of a fashion show, tall, lanky, glamorous men/ women come to mind.  But for Pitti Uomo?  Try three asylum seekers with zero previous modeling experience who hail from Gambia and Mali, Africa.  On January 14, 2016 (and according to the website Carbonated.TV) the rookie models were aged between 19 and 27 and performed in the Generation of Africa exposition wearing the clothing of four African designers: AKJP, Ikiré Jones, Lukhanyo Mdingi x Nicholas Coutts and U.mi-1.  

Apparently, raising awareness for the needs of refugees was the reasoning for the emigrants’ appearance in show.  The ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative group’s founder Simone Cipriani declared,

“As we are in Italy and have a huge refugee crisis, we also want to show that migrants are a resource.”

Cipriani’s main goal in the interesting inclusion of these immigrants was to raise awareness and promote the importance of helping shape their new lives as they attempt to adapt to the surroundings of a new country.  Carbonated.TV also stated that, “The goal, however, was not just to raise awareness, but to allow migrants to work in the industry of fashion and be enabled to go back home and set up their own businesses there, as a more long-term solution.”  This phenomenon isn’t the first of its kind.  Last year in November of 2015, Australian migrant women had the opportunity to participate in a fashion expo as well.  Gini Ennals, founder of this event wanted the women to feel safe and encouraged enough to share their stories and backgrounds.  Overall, events like these help raise awareness to the needs of migrants, especially in the workplace.