Gloria LaPorte is a woman with a mission. As area director for The Oranges Young Life in New Jersey, she’s determined to convince African American young women that they don’t have to be a white supermodel to be beautiful. LaPorte has spent the past decade integrating her faith with her professional modeling background to organize an annual Young Life fashion show for local teenage girls.
“The young women we work with are told by our society that they are not attractive,” La Porte explained. “In our program they learn that they are beautiful. We teach them to appreciate and take care of what God has given them.”
Two months before the spring fashion show, 25 to 30 girls of every shape and size are invited to attend weekly workshops on fitness, nutrition, public speaking, job interview etiquette, proper diction and conflict resolution. Presenters also share the Gospel, assuring the girls they are dearly loved and beautiful in God’s sight. Individual attention is another major aspect of the program, with volunteers accompanying the participants on shopping trips in preparation for the show. And LaPorte notes that over these months of contact, as girls become convinced of their worth in Christ, their lives are often changed forever.
“I remember one girl in particular who made a big turnaround during the program,” she said. “She always wore a coat and constantly kept her head down. But we watched her self-image slowly improve — and eventually she made a commitment to Christ.”
On the big day, professional make-up artists and designers prepare the girls for their walk down the runway. But for many, one of the most meaningful moments of the show is seeing their parents in the audience, applauding them. LaPorte said this kind of positive attention is just what these girls need to confidently face their future. She keeps in touch with about half of all previous fashion show participants, and enjoys hearing firsthand how the program has helped equip them with self-respect and life skills.
This is what the fashion show is about, LaPorte said. “At first they have a hard time believing that they’re beautiful — but we help them understand they have been fearfully and wonderfully made by God. They are perfect!”