Photos by John Barneson
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t all began modestly as an awarenessraising men’s fashion show in Macy’s employee cafeteria in 1982, today it’s part cutting-edge fashion show, Broadway production, rock concert and sporting event featuring 44 models and 32 adult and children dancers on a 125-foot runway. This year, Macy’s Passport featured the latest fall looks from Rachel Roy, Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein along with American Rag, Levi’s, Tallia, Papi, and b.tempt’d by Wacoal. The Harajuku Girls put on a high-energy dance performance directed by celebrity choreographer Brian Friedman. Since the onset of the AIDS pandemic in the early 1980s, Macy’s—in steadfast partnership with the Macy’s Foundation, sponsors, top designers and community organizations—has stood strong year after year to raise invaluable awareness and more than $28 million for HIV/AIDS services, prevention and research. Governed by show director Larry Hashbarger
and celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Sharon Stone, Macy’s Passport works closely with the community, which is the heartbeat of this beloved production. “According to the CDC, every 9 ½ minutes someone in the United States becomes infected with HIV. Therefore we need a collective response that meets the severity of the pandemic head-on, and reaches all populations at risk by supporting research, care, prevention and education programs,” says Terry J. Lundgren, Macy’s chairman, president and CEO. “Macy’s understands the heartbreak and devastation caused by HIV/AIDS and we have taken a leadership role in this worthwhile cause for more than a quarter century.” Responding to the pandemic that is HIV/AIDS Macy’s Passport carefully selects beneficiaries and opens its doors to present a special night for 2,100 teens called Fashion Inform. Headlining beneficiaries include: AIDS Emergency Fund, which provides financial assistance to people with HIV to help stabilize their living situations; Glide Memorial Church with provides a comprehensive range of supportive and preventative programs; and Project Open Hand, which provides meals and groceries to homebound people living with HIV/AIDS. Fashion Inform Teen Night beneficiaries are Huckleberry Youth Programs which provides HIV education, shelter, job readiness training, leadership development to runaway and at-risk youth; New Conservatory Theatre, which gives an artistic voice to the LGBT community educating thousands on critical wellness issues through its landmark YouthAware series; and the School Health Programs Department, which addresses the health needs of school children and their families.
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