What Are You Wearing?- Activist Amanda Nguyen on turning that question into a rallying cry for survivors of sexual assault everywhere

Activist Amanda Nguyen on turning that question into a rallying cry for survivors of sexual assault everywhere. Walking down the runway in a custom dress designed by artists Suzanne McClelland and Alix Pearlstein and adorned with the text of the Survivors' Bill of Rights, I was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions. Alongside me were other survivors and allies, while ambassadors from the United Nations, diplomats, policymakers, and influencers all came to watch.

- By Kate Warren

What are you wearing? It's the most commonly asked question on any red carpet. It's also the exact same question I was asked after I was raped. One instance is meant to celebrate fashion and agency. The other is meant to shame you for the violence that happened to you and to place blame and guilt on you. I remember feeling so alone after my assault and being shocked at how much people victim-blamed. So I decided to reclaim the question.

In 2019, I was attending a fashion show, and there was that question again: What are you wearing? I had been asked to be there as an activist. In the years following my assault in 2013, I did a lot of work around survivors' rights in order to make sure that what happened to me wouldn't happen to other people. The question transported me back to the aftermath of my rape but then sparked a light-bulb moment. I thought, what if we created a place for survivors to reclaim that question in a new context that was empowering and celebrated their agency? I wanted to draw awareness about sexual assault in a completely new way-by organizing a Survivor Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week.