Tailoring Program Empowers Formerly Incarcerated at Fashion Week
MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
Witness to Mass Incarceration, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering formerly incarcerated, system-impacted, and LGBTQIA+ individuals, will be the featured partner for the 2025 edition of Style Across the Aisle, a fashion show during New York Fashion Week that showcases local designers dressing New York City elected officials. The event is scheduled for Sept. 10 at the New York County Surrogate’s Court in Lower Manhattan.
The nonprofit’s Art of Tailoring Program, developed in partnership with the Queens Economic Development Corporation, trains participants in designing and constructing clothing. Students in the program will take center stage at the show, designing outfits for three elected officials: Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Assemblyman Eddie Gibbs, and City Councilwoman Julie Won. The program provides hands-on experience for students, many of whom are system-impacted or formerly incarcerated and are exploring careers in fashion for the first time.
Evie Litwok, founder and executive director of Witness to Mass Incarceration, described the project as transformative. “This opportunity affords them the ability not only to design but to actually make, from scratch, two men’s suits and an outfit for Julie,” Litwok said. “They’ve never done anything like this. It’s eye-opening and incredibly empowering for them.”
Litwok, 74, is herself a formerly incarcerated Jewish lesbian whose experiences with the judicial and correctional systems inspired the nonprofit’s mission. She was incarcerated in two federal women’s prisons and faced significant challenges as an openly lesbian advocate while inside. During her time in prison, she documented systemic issues, including the death of a fellow inmate due to inadequate medical care, which resulted in her being placed in solitary confinement.
After her release, Litwok faced homelessness and unemployment despite a decades-long professional career, including 12 years on Wall Street and 10 years running nonprofits. She eventually founded Witness to Mass Incarceration to provide opportunities for others facing similar barriers. The organization’s programs focus on creating sustainable pathways to economic independence, reducing recidivism, and offering real-world vocational skills.
The nonprofit’s Art of Tailoring Program is structured as a two-year course that trains participants to launch their own businesses. Litwok emphasized that the program provides not just skills but also stipends, food, and transportation, so participants can fully dedicate themselves to learning a trade. “If you help people get employed or earn a living, you will never see them go back to prison,” she said.
The upcoming fashion show also allows students to explore creative expression while meeting real-world demands. Designers interviewed the officials to understand their personal styles and cultural backgrounds. Richards will wear a classic navy suit featuring his favorite phrase, “Queens get the money,” while Won’s outfit will reflect her Korean heritage. Gibbs, who is also formerly incarcerated, will have a design tailored to his own style preferences.
Litwok said the event is about more than fashion. “We want people to see that formerly incarcerated and system-impacted individuals are real people with skills, aspirations, and creativity. Their lives should not be defined by past mistakes but by what they choose to do afterward,” she said.
In addition to the tailoring program, Witness to Mass Incarceration maintains a directory of formerly incarcerated-led services and businesses in New York City. The organization is updating the directory to a three-dimensional, interactive map to help connect consumers with these businesses, many of which lack the resources for traditional advertising or marketing.
In addition to her nonprofit work, Litwok has launched a line of hoodies inspired by her service dog, Boo Boo, called My Boo Boo (mybooboo.org). The initiative allows students in the tailoring program to further develop their design skills while generating income to support stipends for program participants. Litwok said every dollar raised through the hoodies helps provide students with the resources they need to focus on learning a trade without financial distractions.
“This is about building lives, not just teaching a skill,” Litwok said. “If we invest in people and give them the support they need, they will thrive. It’s cheaper, more humane, and more effective than any other alternative, including incarceration or unstructured job training.”
Style Across the Aisle will feature elected officials wearing designs by emerging and small-scale designers, with Witness to Mass Incarceration among a select few participants. The show highlights how creativity and civic engagement intersect, offering a unique platform for formerly incarcerated individuals
