“What do I say to people who say fashion is frivolous? I agree with them and then I tell them how many jobs this industry creates, how many people my company employs. That is not frivolous at all…This was always my dream.” ~ Prabal Gurung, fashion designer
As the whirlwind of Fashion Week dies down, I am inspired by two fashion stories that happened far away from the hubbub at Lincoln Center.
The bra that detects breast cancer
My mom is a breast cancer survivor. Early detection by GE Healthcare scanners caught her tumor during a routine mammogram when it was the size of a grain of sand. She was treated with a lumpectomy and radiation. 7 years ago yesterday, she wrapped up her radiation and she has been cancer free ever since. Early detection and capable doctors saved my mom’s life.
In the U.S., most health insurance doesn’t cover routine mammograms until women are 50. Sadly, too many women are developing breast cancer long before their 50th birthdays. Some are not even making it to 50. First Warning Systems is about to change all that, bypassing the healthcare system in favor of the fashion industry. They’ve developed a system that fits inside a sports bra to monitor breast health. They’ve spent 20 years developing this technology and expect it be approved by the FDA next year. The bra costs $200, a fraction of the cost of a mammogram if women can even get one before they’re 50. Learn more here.
Carrie Underwood’s Grammy dress
During Carrie Underwood’s performance at the Grammy Awards, there were two shows – one involved her voice, the other involved her dress. It was something to behold. The dress was hand-sewn with thousands of crystals. Projectors created choreographed, colorful patterns using the dress as the main screen and then extended them throughout the Staples Center. The images were timed perfectly to her music. It was breathing taking.
The images looked as if they were coming from inside the dress. It made me think about the canvases all around us, not just the ones on easels and museum walls. There are so many places where art can come to life. There are so many ways for us to create a masterpiece that boosts our creativity and inspires others.
Fashion doesn’t have to be outrageous to be meaningful. Just like any other creative work, it can have an impact. It can help to build a better world. All that’s needed is the intention of its makers to do so.
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
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Christa Avampato 