The Uniform Project: Wearing little black dresses for charity

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

In 2009, Sheena Matheiken pledged to wear the same Little Black Dress every day for an entire year as a creative fundraiser. Called the Uniform Project (U.P.), her efforts raised more than $100,000 for children’s education charity Akanksha Foundation.
Now the organization is taking on a new mission — showcasing a different woman every month to represent a different charity.
Here’s how it works: On the first of every month, a new woman is unveiled on the U.P.’s website wearing her ‘dream’ little black dress, designed in collaboration with the U.P., to raise funds for a cause of her choice.
On the 15th of each month, that month’s dress goes on sale on the site via a limited-edition run — with 10% of the proceeds going to the dress-wearer’s charity.
Miss October isIsis Salam, formerly the front woman of the Canadian duo Thunderheist, who is currently finishing her debut solo record. Her dream dress — a basic, over-the-head LBD made out of a stretchy organic cotton, organic wool and Lycra jersey knit — had to ‘have stage presence, be photo op-ready, and have lounge-in-the-studio ability,’ she said.
Salam is raising money for One Laptop Per Child, which provides rugged, low-cost, low-power XO laptops to children in developing countries.Her goal: To raise enough money to give laptops to an entire class of 200 kids at the Galadima School in Abuja, Nigeria. A pretty compelling reason to invest in a cute new LBD, indeed.
--Emili Vesilind