Last week the Boom Shankar marketing team, Portia and Brea were honoured to attend the second annual Dress to Express Day, hosted by Beyond DV Ltd in partnership with Brisbane Fashion Festival. Since last year, this event has more than doubled in size with hundreds of people attending the parade to walk in solidarity with DV survivors rebuilding their lives and rediscovering their identity and style and to raise domestic violence awareness.
Boom Shankar is proud to support such incredible women on their journey to freedom. Just this year, we have donated over $25,000 worth of clothing to the women-led and women-centred charity and will continue to do so in the years to come.
As a brand, we are all about the philosophy of ‘Big Love, Big Life’ and expressing that through wearing what makes you happy and feel good, but unfortunately, not everyone gets to live out this philosophy.
Women experiencing domestic violence are often coercively controlled through fashion by being told what they can and can’t wear and often leave these violent relationships with very little. That is why DRESS TO EXPRESS DAY means so much to us. It is a celebration of liberation and individuality through colour, print and style.
Beyond DV Ambassador wearing our new SS'24 Mia Dress and Brea from Boom Shankar wearing the Maia Shorts and Jacket set.
This year, we were thrilled not only to attend the event but to also supply outfits to 4 Beyond DV ambassadors and domestic violence survivors. Seeing them looking and feeling fabulous as they proudly represented themselves and other courageous women in the parade filled our hearts.
Portia from Boom Shankar wears the Colada Dress in Kaia Stripe (coming soon) and Beyond DV ambassador Brittney wears our fabulous Cabana Stripe set.
The event was held on the final day of Queensland’s largest and most prestigious fashion event, Brisbane Fashion Festival on Friday 30th of August. The festival runs for a week, displaying a gorgeous array of fashions from local and international designers while shining a spotlight on sustainability, female empowerment, gender fluidity and neutrality, diversity, and fashion inclusivity for all. Each night women and men expressed their true fashion identity in their amazing outfits at the festival events.
Beyond DV founder, Carolyn Robinson said “Not everyone in our community actually gets to choose what they want to wear, because their choices are controlled by their partner. Today amongst us all here we have many inspirational domestic violence survivors. They have courageously chosen to leave a life of control, to embrace a life of freedom AND we say fabulous, we are with you!”
Carolyn also said that Dress to Express Day was designed with two purposes:
- To celebrate the inspirational women we work with, who have courageously chosen to leave a life of control for a life of freedom. We watch on in awe as they rebuild their lives and achieve the goals they have set for themselves and their family.
- To raise community awareness about coercive control which can start off as something so subtle as telling a partner what they can and cannot wear, before often progressing to financial abuse, social isolation, technology facilitated abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, spiritual/cultural abuse.
The Dress to Express parade, which began at Brisbane City Hall and continued into Queen Street, saw the Boom Shankar marketing team proudly marching alongside hundreds of dedicated supporters and advocates against domestic violence. Together as one, they formed a powerful and colourful display of unity and support, reinforcing the importance of raising awareness for this common yet often unspoken issue. The large crowd listened to impassioned speakers, including Carolyn Robinson, Jes Hallagan Dangerous Females founder, and Sally Steele, Dress to Express ambassador, fashion stylist and author, discussing the signs of unhealthy relationships and controlling behaviours. Sadly, many community members in abusive relationships don’t get to choose what they wear. This is one of the most common forms of coercive control – hence the Dress to Express Day to reclaim the power of choice over what we wear, feel confident and free in our choices and live our best life!
We would like to say a big THANK YOU to the dedicated Vulnerable Persons Unit Officers from the Queensland Police Service who attended the parade to be on hand for our survivors and the community. Some other notable organisations in attendance include 1800 RESPECT and Legal Aid Queensland, which provide support to victims of domestic and family violence.
Carolyn Robinson says “Domestic Violence is a very confronting subject. People often turn away or bury their heads in the sand when we try to have conversations about this issue. We need to explore other ways to reach people where they're at. Starting conversations around coercive control through fashion can easily lead to further conversations about other types of control and abuse.”
Reaching out for DV support has been made easier and less confronting for those seeking help. 1800 RESPECT have launched an SMS service for people, allowing them to feel safer when searching for help. Legal Aid Queensland provides support for DV and family violence victims through free legal advice. They can be contacted 5 days a week for a free legal advice clinic via phone. Their direct phone line is 07 39170957 or visit their website.
Domestic and Family Violence is an ongoing issue that, through various programs, initiatives, and advocacy efforts, is finally receiving the much-needed awareness it deserves, highlighting its prevalence within our community. No one should be defined by DFV, and it is through hope, self-appreciation, and self-love that we can restore the lives that have been impacted by coercive control. The incredible survivors we work with every day are a testament to this resilience and strength.