CAMH clients light up the catwalk

The Suits Me Fine Fashion Show on May 23 created an opportunity for the entire community to celebrate the style and flair of Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) clients as they strutted their stuff on the catwalk.

The event is hosted annually by Suits Me Fine Clothing Shop – a unique hospital boutique that has been providing clothing and personal items at no cost to CAMH clients for nearly 20 years.

“Imagine you are in Paris and it is springtime and it is fashion season,” said Sarah Downey, Executive Vice-President, Clinical Programs at CAMH, as the 25 models prepared to take the stage in the Paul Christie Community Centre at CAMH’s Queen Street West hub. “Far be it for CAMH to not follow the vogue trends.”

The theme of the show was ‘Looking Back and Moving Forward’. In addition to showing fashions from the 1920s through today, the emcees also shared key pieces of CAMH’s 150-year history.

“Today we celebrate not only how fashion has changed throughout the decades, but also how CAMH has responded to the trends towards mental health and addictions,” said Fiona Blair, a volunteer and former CAMH client who emceed the show with Sheila Pitch, Project Manager, Enterprise Project Management Office at CAMH.

The annual show is aimed at showcasing what the Suit Me Fine Boutique has to offer, but also as an opportunity for a number of CAMH clients to get dressed up, pampered, have their makeup done and strut their stuff.

“It is full of glamour, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t like to primp themselves up now and again and what a treat it is to be on a catwalk,” Downey said.

The CAMH Suits Me Fine boutique is open three days a week to service its clients with clothing, shoes, accessories and cosmetics and is managed by Volunteer Resources.

Credit: Parkdale Villager