Fashion Forward Kinspire showed me my future was possible: The people and principles behind it

The young person. Sahmari Wingo on how Kinspire changed the way she sees her future.

I’ve always had interest in this career, even before participating in Fashion Forward Kinspire, but there were many times I doubted myself and let little things come between me and my goals, which shifted my perspective. But after I joined the program and met wonderful and talented people who work in the industry, my hopes were raised back high again.

I felt a spark that was stronger than ever. I made great connections and had meaningful conversations with leaders during the [Fashion Week] industry panels. What stood out to me the most is even when they didn’t have the best upbringing, they still managed to make something of themselves. Seeing how many others came from a similar background to me and faced some hard challenges, it gave me so much more motivation and hope to not only stay true to myself, but to pursue my dreams.

I changed the way I see my future. My experience with Kinspire has introduced me to other things, things that I am truly interested in now like the background of fashion and how everything comes together. It also gave me the chance to make great friendships and experience how we can thrive when we work together as a team, uplifting each other to our highest potential. For that I will forever be grateful for this experience.

I would highly encourage anyone who is considering applying to this program to do it 100 percent. It has healed me in so many ways and showed me that we can turn our dreams into reality.

The mentor. Carolyn Gray on Kinspire’s goals, structure and program components.

Fashion Forward Kinspire — created by Sharon McDaniel of A Second Chance, Inc., in partnership with nonprofit Think of Us — is empowering the next generation of creative leaders through mentorship and real-world opportunity.

Designed for young people in kinship and foster care, the program introduces students to the many career pathways that exist across fashion, media, business, beauty and the creative industries.

Over the course of several weeks, students participate in interactive virtual classes, conversations with industry professionals and mentorship opportunities designed to strengthen confidence, communication and professional readiness. The program culminates in an immersive New York City capstone experience, where participants connect classroom learning with real-world exposure through studio visits, cultural experiences, industry panels and meaningful relationships with professionals working across the creative landscape.

[Related: Youth Aging Out of Foster Care Need a Runway, Not a Cliff]

By combining mentorship, career exploration and hands-on learning, Kinspire encourages students to expand what they believe is possible for their futures while building the confidence to pursue it.

The visionary. Sharon McDaniel on the importance of building trust through quiet listening plus comments on the TrustYouth Campaign visual.

Sixto Cancel and I, because of our lived experience, understand the importance of “how you show up” in the Black community and the impact these experiences have on your identity. We joined forces to create an immersive opportunity for young people aging out of the system to see both the glamour and the behind-the-scenes opportunities in a complex industry like fashion where success isn’t always determined by advanced degrees.

We had both experienced Fashion Week. We wanted our young people to have that experience. But we knew they couldn’t just be introduced to this cold. We’re asking young people to spend five days with people they don’t know, to travel perhaps for the first time, to be away from their routines. These are new experiences for them and their caregivers.

[Related: Q&A — Sixto Cancel on prioritizing kinship care for foster youth]

The eight-week online curriculum gives them a chance to see that we show up every week whether or not they do. We let them talk. We hear their ideas. They hear each other’s ideas. After every session, we give them an evaluation form to share feedback. We adjust as we go along. We don’t wait until the end. There is no expiration date on trauma — we’re always re-centering. So we have to keep an eye out, which means we have to quiet ourselves enough to listen.

I love the TrustYouth theme and visual you’re developing. The words in the tree leaves are the types of experiences we create space for our young people to have, separately and together, online and in person during their time with us. But more importantly, they are the building blocks we want them to have confidence in themselves enough to use after they leave us — so that they can make their dreams a reality.

But the bolded phrase, TrustYouth, is what really resonates.

We absolutely do not start from the assumption that they are going to trust us.

We have to make every effort to show that we trust them.

These young people don’t know us. They have been disappointed and discounted. Even those in kinship care may have challenges trusting adults in their lives. So, we start small, finding ways to earn their trust.

Our staff identify young people who may be interested in the arts or fashion or content creation. We make it clear that if they are interested, we are interested. We want to help them tap into their genius from wherever their starting point is. We don’t turn anyone away.

Kinship care can provide young people extended family supports that don’t expire when they officially “age out.” Fashion Forward Kinspire further extends their networks, building trusted relationships with new peers and new adults through challenging experiences that develop new levels of trust in themselves.

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Sahmari Wingo is a 19-year-old student, aspiring cosmetologist and alum of the Fashion Forward Kinspire Program. 

Carolyn Gray is a fashion director, content curator and founder, who serves as the principal consultant and a mentor for Fashion Forward Kinspire. 

Sharon L. McDaniel, Ph.D., Ed.D., M.P.A., a nationally recognized child welfare leader, author and nonprofit executive, is the founder, president and CEO of A Second Chance, Inc., the nation’s leading nonprofit voice on kinship care. Listen to the interview with Sixto on The Imprint Weekly Podcast.