When I think of New York Fashion Week, I think of high end fashion and couture makeup. Imagine going to a fashion show where the clothes make the model appear almost invisible from the neck down. You can only see their faces. Then to make it even more unconventional, the models don’t wear any makeup. Does that sound unreal? Well, it’s exactly what happened in the last show at New York Fashion Week.
Each model represented a characteristic in another opportunity to walk down the runway. Gold-Medalist Olympian Aly Raisman represented strength. Notice how she is wearing the description with too crossed out before it. We can only assume that Olay did this to reject discouragements often pointed towards women. In Aly Raisman’s case, people label her “too strong.” She walked down the runway telling the world that she is strong–not too strong or strong enough; just strong, period.

Olay Joins the Women’s Empowerment Movement
One of the most well-known skincare brands that has stood the test of time, Olay, sponsored the show. In August, they launched their Face Anything campaign to help empower women. They planned the campaign incredibly well, creating who they call the Fearless 9. Nine female influencers who stand for different causes make up the group. By leveraging these influencers’ platforms, Olay reaches different audiences with different interests. And because people who follow influencers tend to be passionate, Olay discreetly reels them into the women’s empowerment movement as they watch their fave influencer. Strategic and super millennial, but genius.The Face Anything campaign encourages women to define ourselves because we know ourselves best. It encourages women to dream, to love who or what we want, and to defy the norms. “Together, we can face anything” is the campaign’s slogan, which seems to be aimed at banding women together as a thoroughly motivated force to be reckoned with.Olay Inspires at New York Fashion Week September 2018
In the last show at NYFW, Olay sent 19 female influencers down the runway totally barefaced. They designed the outfits to act as a part of the projection screen. That way, only the models’ faces would be distinguishable. Projected visual aids along with audio voice overs described who the models are and what they stand for. These powerful moves made the point that women are beautiful despite fashion and cosmetics. Attendees also focused more on who the models are instead of their appearances. In case you’re unaware, that is the polar opposite of what generally happens at a fashion show.