Last year, numerous Catwalks for Water events, which showcased the creativity and artistry of Aveda Artists and students, were held throughout the world. In Japan, for example, Catwalks for Water was held at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, during the biggest eco event in the city—Earth Day Tokyo 2016. Led by Aveda Japan Pure-fessional Masa Honda, six models strutted down the runway in looks made of old Aveda Shammy Cloths, perming rods, umbrellas, Aveda Hair Color tubes, boxes and more. Turns out, when you stack flattened boxes of hair color, they really can fill out a skirt! Eighteen teams participated in the Aveda Catwalk for Water in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to raise awareness and support the SmallchangeFund.org. Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, the Institute of Beauty and Wellness raised nearly $10,000 for clean water supporting the Alliance for the Great Lakes. In Florence, Italy, 400 people attended Catwalks for Water featuring 16 models and 31 hair stylists; together they raised just over $12,000 for clean water initiatives.

But as fun as it is to see what can be made out of upcycled materials, there’s a very serious message behind the Catwalks for Water shows: Clean water is not something to take for granted. There are approximately 780 million people around the world that lack access to clean water (unwater.org).  And we are seeing more and more clean water issues in our own backyard from contaminated water in Flint Michigan to the drought in California.

In addition to funding clean water projects, Aveda’s Catwalks for Water events also help foster a sense of community, since our Institutes and salon/spas partner all work together to produce the shows.

To sum it up, “Each of the professionals in our network are with Aveda because they care deeply for the world we all live in and want to be part of doing something to protect it,” says Dave Rapaport, Vice President, Earth and Community Care at Aveda. “We are proud to have such passion behind all the important work being done to help raise awareness for our local Earth Month partners to protect clean water. At Aveda, money raised on a global scale – one stylist, one esthetician, one massage therapist, one instructor, one student, one adviser and one guest at a time.”

Visit www.aveda.com/cleanwater for more details.

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