Each summer, the Jason Taylor Foundation, through its Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network, celebrates the beginning of the school year with the introduction of its newest and most fashion forward event to date. “The Get Up” An Urban Fashion Experience presented by AVEDA Institute South Florida, is a showcase of fashion, poetry and music that reflects current industry trends, as well as young artists from the bluapple Poetry Network who don the clothing. This culturally diverse and socially conscious event, hosted by Kimmy B of HITS 97.3 FM along with She-J Hercules from 99 Jamz, usually takes place on the Sunday prior to Broward Public Schools returning to fall session.
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Local and national clothiers partner with the Foundation to outfit bluapple’s diverse student body, highlighting the culture, style and expression that have become fixtures at open mics, within classrooms and on Louder Than A Bomb Florida stages. Poets from bluapple’s Network, along with their peers, will model the clothing after having been styled by AVEDA Institute’s cosmetology students. Throughout the evening, audience members are entertained by live musical performances from Jason Taylor Foundation alumni as well as other talented South Florida artists. But no bluapple event would be complete without breathtaking spoken word poetry delivered by some of the area’s top teen poets.
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“Our bluapple programming empowers young people to express themselves with their words, but there is no doubt that these students engage in powerful expression long before they ever put pen to page,” said Seth Levit, Executive Director of the Jason Taylor Foundation. “We want to bring youth together from across South Florida to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year, and fashion is a natural centerpiece.”
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The Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network is a multi-faceted, after-school spoken word poetry program available free to students actively attending South Florida schools. The program began as collaboration between the Jason Taylor Foundation and the School Board of Broward County’s Diversity, Prevention and Intervention Department, but has expanded throughout the tri-county area and beyond, with more than 60 schools actively participating in the Network. bluapple gives students the opportunity to truly be the center of the educational process and express themselves through the art of spoken word poetry.
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In addition to AVEDA Institute South Florida, generous partners of The Get Up include The Boutique, Hoffman’s Chocolates, Invicta Watch Group, I AM CHIC, I Love Vintage Florida, J Productions, Lamaj Company, LIME Fresh Mexican Grill, Macy’s, Old Navy, Outrank Brand Clothing, Raw Juce of Weston, Starbucks, Thunderous Genius Creative House and Toy Snobs and Way of Wade.
Admission is FREE for youth 18 and under, while a $5 donation to the Jason Taylor Foundation is encouraged for adults interested in attending. For more information, call (954) 424-0799.
