Featured Designers
Break Free is excited to have the following designers on the runway this season: LadyCat by Alexandra Nyman, Zephyr, Dukiri Apparel, and VALT by Ashley Alt.
About LadyCat
LadyCat is a fashion design house that was established in 2019 by indie designer, Alexandra Nyman. In February 2019, LadyCat launched their first ready-wear collection, Therapy. The inspiration for Therapy came from Nyman’s younger brother and his mental health journey since his diagnosis of bipolar disorder type ii. In an interview, Nyman went on to explain that, “[my brother] is my driving force and main inspiration in all I do. I wanted this collection to inspire others to seek help and to take their mental health seriously.”
About Alexandra Nyman
Alexandra is a fierce advocate for mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders. She serves as a volunteer for NAMI and AFSP and uses her platform to raise awareness on how society addresses mental health and substance use.
Alexandra is the founder of Break Free NYFW and recently launched the Break Free Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for those suffering from mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders. Through their ongoing collaboration with 10,000 Beds, Break Free is able to offer scholarships for individuals suffering from substance use disorders to attend a treatment facility free of charge.
About Zephyr
Kelsey, the creative mind behind the brand Zephyr is a proudly queer, disabled, multi-talented artist, designer, and advocate who creates magic in the Pacific Northwest. Over the past year, she has focused full-time on healing from CPTSD, including discovering and understanding her dissociative disorder. As she unearthed her covert system and layers of the trauma narrative, she started making self-care products and wearable art to soothe internal facets that were feeling safe to express and heal. Now she hopes to use the healing skills and values she has developed to help others care for and express their whole selves.
About Dukiri Apparel
Dukiri Apparel is an artist inspired streetwear brand with a focus on creating unique patterns and graphic prints. Designed to appeal to creatives and those with an appreciation for art, what we offer is expressive and plays with colors to create pieces that are irreplaceable. Our mission is to build a global community around our collections with the aim of sharing creativity around the world. Our color scheme is a fun mix of brights and neutrals.
About "The Journey"
The name of our collection is The Journey. Originally, it referred to the idea of movement, but its meaning shifted over time—it now stands for the story of our brand as we continue to make memories and strive towards our goals. It reminds us that our story continues.
About VALT
VALT is a luxury clothing brand made for the socialite. Built on the foundation of positive mental health, VALT's mission is to dress women in jaw-dropping, sophisticated styles so they can lead a life of elegance and fabulousness. Working only with sustainable fabrics, each collection of robes and jumpsuits is a limited edition to ensure style exclusivity.
About Ashley Alt
VALT's designer, Ashley Alt, is a Connecticut-based writer and stylist looking to raise awareness of the positive impact dressing up has on our mindset. She started her clothing line — a vibrant collection of one-piece wonders — upon the realization that getting dressed again got her mind right again. After battling postpartum depression when her son was born, Ashley has since made it her mission to enlighten new moms and women on the power that getting dressed holds, which she intends to portray through her playful-yet-elegant pieces.
