February is National Heart Health Month. The Red Dress is the
national symbol for raising awareness of heart disease, the
number one killer of women in the nation. Since 2010, every
February, Design students showcase their own red dress designs as
a metaphor to tell stories about what they have learned about
heart disease, encourage a younger generation to become aware of
the importance of heart health and to practice prevention by
leading a healthy lifestyle.
On the 28th of February, a team of 12 students unveiled the 2015
Red Dress Collection at “The Power of Red:
Cocktails and Couture,” a benefit for the UC Davis Women’s
Heart Health Program, hosted by Chancellor Katehi at Sheraton
Grand Sacramento Hotel. Read Linda Katehi’s thoughts about the
dress collection and heart health, in
her March 13, 2015 post on Maria Shriver’s blog.
By modeling their own dresses on stage, the students designers
demonstrated their talent and energy through these symbolic
dresses. Each dress is a visual interpretation of a young
designer’s heart health story and heart disease prevention
message.
For the first time this year, two heart disease
patients joined the design team to model the customized dresses
created by four Design seniors. Students Betty Chen, Heaji
Richards, Jenny Chen and Judy Wu interviewed the patients and
then translated their personal experience and physical needs into
design elements to apply on wearable objects. This project
provides a platform for our students to work with real clients
and practice design in reality while having a positive impact on
social issues.
Click the link to see pictures of the dresses, designer
statements and model information for the 2015
Red Dress Collection.
2015 marks the sixth anniversary of the partnership between
Dr. Villablanca, director of the Women’s Cardiovascular
Medicine Program, and Adele Zhang, Department of
Design, in developing the UC Davis Red Dress Collection. This is
the second year to include a fashion show at The Power of
Red event, to raise funds for research and to bring awareness of
the importance of heart health to the entire UC Davis campus.
Fighting heart disease takes inspiration and commitment. Doctors
research the cure, while designers bring positive inspiration to
our lives. The UC Davis Red Dress Collection is a tangible
example of how the value of design is delivered by making and
doing beyond classrooms and studios. This is the power of RED in
design.
The Red Dress® is the national symbol for raising
awareness of heart disease as the leading killer of women.
Cardiovascular disease kills a woman every minute, more than all
cancers combined, yet is largely preventable through the adoption
of healthy lifestyles.
In 2010, the Department of Design entered into a unique
partnership with the UC Davis Women’s Cardiovascular Medicine
Program to campaign for women’s heart health awareness. This
exhibition showcases 18 red dresses from the UC Davis Red Dress
Collection created by design students.