Brooklyn youth shine in Fashion Camp 360’s first-ever runway show at Abolitionist Place • Brooklyn Paper

The sidewalks of Abolitionist Place in Downtown Brooklyn transformed into a vibrant runway on Sunday, as a few dozen youngsters from Fashion Camp 360, an NYPD Community Affairs youth program, strutted through the park modeling Primark’s affordable, fashion-forward fall collection.

The event was a collaboration between BKLYN ROCK!, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, the NYPD Community Center, City Point and international clothing retailer Primark, located at 445 Albee Square West.

Gail Powell, who has been in the fashion industry for 15 years, created Fashion Camp 360 in partnership with the NYPD Community Center at 127 Pennsylvania Ave. in East New York. The program teaches kids and teens, ages 7 to 18, about various aspects of the fashion industry. Wanting to do something special for the kids, Powell reached out to her friend Erica Roseman, owner of Concrete Communications NYC, who oversees marketing and events for City Point, to help organize the first-ever fashion show at Abolitionist Place.

“[Roseman] reached out to Primark, and it kind of all came together that way,” Powell said. “So, thankfully, everybody really saw the vision of giving these kids a very special moment.”

Powell told Brooklyn Paper that the aspiring fashionistas styled the collection with the motto “Reimagine Yourself,” adding that the models were allowed to keep their runway outfits.

“We did not style it. The kids went to Primark, pulled all 32 looks, and they styled each look,” Powell said.

Powell also reflected on how working with young people has shifted her perspective.

“The education I receive just watching them and being with them every day has changed my perspective,” she said. “I love to see them, especially when they’re Gen Z and Gen Alpha. They see fashion completely differently. So it’s amazing to see what their creativity is like. It’s on steroids.”

NYPD Community Affairs Deputy Inspector Besemah Rogers told Brooklyn Paper she was impressed with Powell’s unique idea, which offered young people an alternative to typical youth activities like sports.

Exposing kids to business models like the fashion industry, Rogers said, expands their horizons and introduces them to opportunities they might not otherwise encounter.

Rogers praised Powell’s work, saying the program exceeded expectations by not only opening a new world for the kids but also educating parents about the possibilities available for their children.

“I just wanted the kids to be exposed to a little something. [Powell] has exposed them to a lot of something,” Rogers said. “She’s done an absolutely amazing job. I am so proud of these babies.”

Corey Lober, director of Leasing at City Point, told Brooklyn Paper that Primark and City Point were enthusiastic partners.

“[Primark] is always willing to do stuff for the community,” Lober said. “We have such a great familial aspect down here; it just made all the sense in the world to do this. Time for the kids.”

Jacqueline Jenkins, owner of Sophisticated Curations, which designs fashion for women over 40, praised Fashion 360 as a great opportunity for young people to break into the industry and called the show a fantastic community event. She also loved that the kids got to keep their outfits.

“Especially this time of year,” Jenkins said. “Because now they can do their fall looks as they go into the holidays.”

Rick Davey, founder and director of BK Style Foundation and the creative director and producer of Fashion Week Brooklyn, directed the show. For him, it was inspiring to see the kids learn about all aspects of the fashion industry, beyond just designing clothes.

“It gives [the young people] a really good guideline to follow, to decide what they want to do with a career,” Davey said about the Fashion Camp 360 program.

Erica Roseman, owner of Concrete Communications NYC, called the fashion show a “real community moment.”

“All these kids are so excited,” Roseman told Brooklyn Paper. “They’re from all over Brooklyn, and we’re all about Brooklyn at City Point and supporting the community. And we love that Abolitionist Place is open, and the story resonates so nicely.”

Ladaya O’Bey’s 12-year-old daughter, Havynn Robinson, has been part of Fashion 360 for two years. It was Robinson’s first time walking the runway.

“I’m so happy for [Robinson]. It’s something that she likes to do, so I’m happy,” O’Bey said, adding that she didn’t know Primark had donated the clothes until Brooklyn Paper informed her. “I didn’t know. So that’s even better. [Robinson] will be really happy about it.”

The fashion show also drew tourists Laurel Hoeth and Leonora Benson, who traveled from Wisconsin and Arizona, respectively, to Abolitionist Place.

The longtime friends discovered the event online.

“I’m a home economics family consumer [educator],” Hoeth said. “I taught sewing and love fashion. So that’s why I wanted to try to drag my friend along to see a fashion show.”

“I just go where she goes,” Benson added. “I enjoy fashion too.”