The Plaza at the National Library, was transformed into a festive delight celebrating women and their transformation into strong individuals. Read about the event and view pictures of the This Is Me Fashion Show.

View Photo Album of the THIS IS ME Event

Ms. Ingrid, one of the models of the This Is Me Fashion Show, writes about her experience:

This Is Me? You bet it is!

Fashion shows usually make me quite annoyed. Feather light women with ideal skin, tall posture, exactly the right bra size, and abundantly swinging hips parade in the limelight in order to tell me what looks and clothing I should aspire to. If I were to join in such a fashion show, I would most definitely feel hopelessly inadequate. Therefore, I thought it was a brilliant idea of Aware to approach the fashion show concept from a completely different angle, so as to counter that depressing sense of inadequacy fashion shows and advertising try to give us. "This Is Me!" became the apt slogan for the alternative Aware fashion show, where women of any size, age, and colour would demonstrate that every woman is beautiful just the way she is.

Although I am not used to being in the limelight, I did not hesitate long to sign up for the show. So there we were, the twelve of us, standing nervously in front of the Channel U cameras at the National Library. And it was great - I had such fun! What could be more joyful than having an audience smile at you and simply accept you the way you look? Not to feel scrutinised for at least some five minutes by the eye of one's inner 'beauty myth' superego? The pleasure and beauty I experienced while participating in the "This Is Me!" fashion show gave me enough positive energy to last me at least a
week. And I sincerely hope that many of the women present at the event will also feel a little bit better about themselves.

Thanks Aware for organising this great event!

-Ingrid

This is Me is a campaign about Self Valuation, Self Realisation and Self-Actualisation which leads to Self Acceptance.

This is Me is an affirmation of SELF being proud of oneself regardless of age, shape, size, profession etc.

THIS IS ME, conceived by Swimming Legend, Pat Chan, and Singapore's original Golden Girl, whose grit and determination to achieve her goals make her an ideal role model for Singapore women.

Pat Chan says: " THIS IS ME is a validation of self. It's about being comfortable with who you are and recognizing your potential to be all that you can be. It is about knowing that you are an essential part of a whole that, when united, can be a powerful force to move and change things for the better of all. It is about helping to galvanize your community into self recognition, self realization and self-actualisation.

THIS IS ME has no colour code, no age barriers, no gender inequities. It is about being true to yourself. THIS IS ME is about YOU and everything you CAN be."

THIS IS ME invites women from all walks of life to love themselves, saying THIS IS ME to reaffirm their self-acceptance. Casting aside archaic notions of women as Barbie dolls, or second-class citizens, THIS IS ME encourages women to be first class citizens, to embrace new and healthier role models of success and beauty.

Braema Mathi, President of AWARE, says: THIS IS ME allows every woman to appreciate herself for what she is and what she hopes to become. Often women still beat themselves up for what they think they are not and are constantly on the lookout to others for reassurance and reaffirmation.

THIS IS ME is an opportunity for women from all diverse backgrounds to embrace their place in this world and walk closer to taking charge of their well-being.

We hope this campaign will become a mantra for all women especially at their moment of self-doubt, and THIS IS ME will be the prop to get to the next step.