The Uniform Project

[Nana Soma]

1 day, 365 days and a lot of inspiration

Would you wear the same dress in a different look every single day for a whole year? No? Well, this was the challenge taken by Sheena Matheiken which is going to be finished in a month.

Since May of 2009, Sheena Matheiken and her partner Eliza Starbuck, who designed the Little Black Dress, are at the front line of The Uniform Project, a very inspiring project and not only in the sense of style. Promoting sustainability in fashion by wearing this uniform dress as a “white” canvas waiting for colors, collages and new meanings, Sheena accessorizes it with clothing items which are handmade, vintage or recycled. The result of these styled creations are improvised, different and creative looks. Below my favorite ones.

This upcycled t-shirt turned into a tunic top gets my attention in this look

The cape reminds me an winter story that looks like a fairy tale

Sheena rocks in this Disco Doherty outfit!

The great merit of the Project aren’t the clothes and the accessories themselves and, yes, the fundraising forAkanksha Foundation, a non-profit educational organization for underprivileged childrens in India. With the Indian government spending an average of $360 on each child’s public school year, Akanksha has vowed to spend the same amount on every child in the slums to afford them a better, more holistic education. Sheena is doing her part donating $1 each day during the 365 days of the U.P. and invites everyone to join into the cause.

credits to The U.P.

With the project reaching its final line, two actions are ongoing: the first is the limited edition release of 365 dresses, each representing a day in Sheena’s year long wear-a-thon. They are now available for order and each uniform dress costs $180USD from which $30USD will go directly to the Akanksha Foundation. Starting this Monday in the true spirit of re-use and to further boost the fundraiser for the children of Akanksha, the Accessory Auction is about auctioning off all of the lovely and countless donations; handmade, vintage and designer accessories that Sheena has artfully paired with her little black dress.

No wonder that The Uniform Project was a success around the world. After all, Sheena has proven that with a little creativity, one fabulous accessory can go a long way. Quite inspiring, no?