The room was dim. Crimson lights illuminated the intricately beaded gowns that fluttered down the runway in golds, blacks and reds. Designer Naeem Khan debuted a stunning Fall/Winter 2016 collection — what he called a “practice in couture.”
But the real star was 11-year-old Trinity Moran, who traveled from Texas to make an appearance in Khan’s show.
Moran has rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare, life-threatening cancer involving muscle tissue. She is schedule to have surgery in five weeks and she shared her dream of walking in a fashion show with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Lucky for her, Khan and stylist Mary Alice Stephenson decided to step in as her fairy godparents and make her dreams come true — in a big way.
Stephenson, who styled Khan’s show, has served as the National Fashion Ambassador for Make-A-Wish for 15 years now. When she presented Khan with the opportunity to facilitate Moran’s wish, he couldn’t turn her down, and he offered Moran the chance to walk in his NYFW show in a dress designed just for her.
“Trinity is the cutest, sweetest girl ever,” Khan told News Stations. “When [Stephenson] asked me to do this, it’s like, how can you not? It’s a wish.”
In addition to working with Make-A-Wish, Stephenson spearheads her own philanthropic effort, GLAM4GOOD. Because Khan had been so supportive of her work there, she reached out to him about Moran’s wish.
“It’s very rare for a designer to say yes to actually let a girl get up and walk the runway,” Stephenson said. “Naeem was so open-hearted. He didn’t even blink.”
The pair flew Moran and her family to New York for a fashion week adventure. The 11-year-old got to experience a fitting, and Khan sketched and created a dress for her on the spot.
“I wanted Trinity to be a part of the collection,” Khan said
So he designed a dress that echoed one of the “most important” dresses in his show.
He used red tulle — a major motif in the collection— to create a look that was both young and elegant, fun and bold.
Just before the show today, Stephenson practiced with Moran and assured her she didn’t need to walk in the show if she felt nervous or had changed her mind. But Moran looked up at Stephenson and confidently said the words, “I’m ready to rock the runway.”
In the show’s finale, the models formed two lines along either side of the stage. Those clad in gold sparkles lined the front, and then came those draped in dramatic red silhouettes. The models in black fringe stood in the back, almost disappearing into the velvet curtain hanging over the runway.
Khan walked through the lines to the front of the runway, holding the hand of a young girl dressed in red tulle. She looked more glamorous than most 11-year-olds could ever dream of, and she stared into the rows of fashion show-goers with excited, bright eyes.
This was Trinity Moran, and this was her moment.
