How a Fashion Line Was Used to Spark Outrage at the Number of Homeless Canadian Youth
On any given night, up to 7,000 youth across Canada experience homelessness. It’s a damning statistic, made only worse by the fact that many are apathetic to the news. After all, you might be reading this right now and thinking, ‘wow, that’s terrible’. But much action beyond that is often a different story.
It’s also a fact that Raising the Roof (RTR) is well aware of. Having worked for over 25 years to support homelessness prevention programs across Canada – raising over $9 million in support during that time - RTR knew it was time for a new campaign to raise public awareness and demand action. Partnering with newly-founded Canadian creative agency Courage, the two drew inspiration from the fashion industry’s history of using homeless-inspired clothing to release ‘Streetswear by RTR’. The collection is a five-piece concept that has been modified with street-survival elements. Designed by Toronto-based designers, Lauren Novak and Caitlin Wright, for youth experiencing homelessness, the goal of the ‘Streetswear’ was to spark outrage and conversation over the real and growing epidemic of youth homelessness.
Included in the collection is:
- ‘Pavement Parka’, a multi-functional winter coat that unravels into a full sized kids sleeping bag.
- ‘Cardboard Cargos’, allowing kids to pad their pockets with cardboard so they can have an easier time lying on concrete and benches.
- ‘Tent-o-Poncho’, a wearable, weatherproof shelter that can be attached to subway grates to create a heated tent.
- ‘Kevlar Kicks’, which use carbon fibre and Kevlar material to protect kids from broken glass and needles as they run through alleyways.
- ‘Tap-Me Teddy’ (made of hyper-durable material), which accepts card-tapped payments, so kids can panhandle in a cashless society.
Making its public debut on Friday November 11th at Fashion Art Toronto, the city’s longest running fashion week (and a length of time in which 100 youth will experience homelessness), the campaign included a 60-second fashion commercial shot by Undivided Creative director Justin Abernathy, which mimicked the likes of GAP kids or Joe Fresh campaigns, albeit in a darker context.
To learn more about how this campaign came to life, LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with Courage associate creative directors Hemal Dhanjee and Steve Ierullo, Raising the Roof marketing manager Shoshana Coodin, and Justin Abernathy to find out how this campaign is fighting against youth homelessness in Canada.
LBB> Tell us about how the Raising the Roof/Courage collaboration came to pass. How did that factor into the brief, and what initial ideas came to mind?
Hemal & Steve> Raising the Roof has been a leader in the fight against homelessness in Canada for over 25 years, with a track record of doing courageous work. Our mandate this time around was to create a campaign that got Canadians to think about homelessness differently. The truth is, when Canadians picture a homeless person, they typically picture someone who’s older, transient and roofless. But when you look at the data, 20% of Canadians facing homlessness are youth. That’s a huge number that will continue to grow unless we do something about it. That’s why ‘Streetswear’ was one of those ideas that bubbled to the top.
Shoshana> Raising the Roof is known for our iconic toque campaign, which has raised over $9 million for homelessness prevention. However, this year we wanted to breathe new life into this important initiative. We approached Courage to create a campaign that would spark an important conversation around the growing epidemic of youth homelessness, and ultimately drive Canadians to buy a toque as a way to help those in need.
LBB> A fundamental aspect of this campaign was sparking outrage over the homeless youth statistics. What made this the best approach for the job?
Hemal & Steve> Many Canadians will look the other way when it comes to adults affected by homelessness. But, when you reframe it around kids, it really hits home. From the very beginning, our goal with ‘Streetswear’ was to create a collection that was designed to provoke conversation - to spark outrage that this collection was even made, and to ultimately reflect children as a growing part of the homeless population.
Shoshana> The intention with this campaign was to start a much-needed conversation on the epidemic of homelessness in Canada, with the goal of ultimately creating real change. On any given night, up to 7,000 youth across Canada experience homelessness. That alone should spark outrage to all Canadians.
LBB> What was the research process like for this campaign? What key takeaways came from it, and was there any information that surprised you?
Hemal & Steve> Our research showed that homelessness is much closer than you think. During these past two years, Canadians have been navigating a rising cost of living due to inflation, increased food prices, housing affordability/availability issues, and economic recovery during covid-19.
Every night in Canada, there are approximately 35,000 people experiencing homelessness - adding up to at least 235,000 every year - and that number continues to rise. Unless Canadians think that homelessness will affect them directly, or unless it hits close to home, they will remain generally unmotivated to act in a meaningful way. And that’s exactly what ‘Streetswear’ is designed to do.
LBB> For this project, the streetwear was designed by Toronto-based designers Lauren Novak and Caitlin Wright. What made Lauren and Caitlin the right people for this campaign?
Hemal & Steve> Caitlin Wright and Lauren Novak are renowned Canadian designers. Lauren is the designer behind ‘Remark’, creating distinctive pieces from pre-existing materials, while Caitlin is a costume designer and wardrobe stylist who has worked with recording artists such as Drake, DJ Khaled and The Arkells. Our director, Justin Abernethy, worked with both of them in the past, which opened the door to this incredible collaboration. Both Lauren & Caitlin have incredible experience redesigning existing garments into something even more spectacular, which made them a perfect fit for this task.
LBB> Tell us more about the collaboration itself! How did the idea of creating streetwear with survival elements develop, and how were these streetwear survival elements selected?
Hemal & Steve> The fashion world has been selling ‘homeless chic’ for decades – co-opting torn clothing, garbage bags and duct-tape into its designs. So, we asked, what if there was a collection designed to help youth survive a life of homelessness? We then looked at some of the key issues affecting homelessness, and crafted our collection around them. For example, with winter around the corner and a failing shelter system, items like the ‘Pavement Parka’ and the ‘Tento Poncho’ have never been more relevant. People experiencing homelessness also walk an average of 10-15 miles a day, giving a super durable shoe like the ‘Kevlar Kicks’ real utility. While these are just a few of the items in the collection, each one was designed to be fully functional and usable for homeless youth.
LBB> The 60-second spot which came with the campaign is excellent. What made Justin Abernathy the right director for the job?
Hemal & Steve> Once we saw his reel, we knew Justin was the guy for us. We wanted this spot to feel like it was a hype Joe Fresh/H&M commercial, and with Justins’ experience as a fashion director and photographer, it felt like a no-brainer.
LBB> Justin, why was this campaign something you were keen to be involved in?
Justin> After reading the treatment presented to me by Courage, I knew immediately that this campaign would be a conversation-starting piece, and for that reason alone I wanted to get involved. Within Toronto there are so many commercials and campaigns that serve their purpose for branding, marketing, etc., but when you get the opportunity to work on something meaningful - something that has a message - it's pretty rare and exciting!
I had also recently worked on a project with clothing designer and stylist extraordinaire Caitlin Wright. Her personal clothing brand (Kyshe) utilises recycled fabrics and materials in their pieces, so it was a match made in heaven!
LBB> How did you work to build out the look and feel of the spot?
Justin> The initial script was far different from the final spot! Within this treatment was a voice-over element that was to exist across the entirety of the spot, but after pre-production, shooting and bringing the footage into post, we decided that music plus text overlays brought so much more energy to the opening ‘fashion-film’ element of the campaign. As well as this, our final shot became that much more impactful with a dark, eerie city soundscape that can be heard as we see a child alone in the alleyway.
While this change in this script occurred naturally, the main idea I had going into this campaign was to showcase a hard-hitting, impactful moment in time that flipped the switch from day to night. By doing so, it allowed us to showcase that fun, upbeat energy that you might find in a GAP kids or Joe Fresh campaign, but with a dark twist at the end that made the viewer do a double take!
LBB> How long did it take to shoot, where did you shoot, and what was the experience like?
Justin> The campaign was filmed in a one day shoot, capturing both motion and stills in several locations across the west end of the city. Knowing that we had to capture the different pieces of survival gear, we wanted to ensure that our locations thematically matched what was happening on screen. For example, the ‘Tap-Me-Teddy’ was captured on a pedestrian bridge, as we imagined our homeless child looking for the most foot traffic for donations. While our day was hectic (in the best way possible), we felt as if capturing these kids as they ran around the city - almost as if they were using it as their playground - was the best way for it to feel like an accurate representation of a kid on the street.
LBB> The kids who model the fashion and appear in the spot are brilliant. What was the casting process like, and what was the experience of working with them like?
Hemal & Steve> We worked with Mann Casting to find our children, casting over 100 kids in the process. We wanted to represent a diverse mix of genders and backgrounds - emphasising the fact that homelessness can impact anyone and everyone. We also worked closely with our designers to fit each piece to each cast member, made bespoke to them. Each kid brought their own unique character and swagger on set, creating an ‘Avengers’ vibe that added to the surreal nature of our spot.
Justin> Every single kid in this spot was fantastic to work with! Our casting process was seamless between myself and the Courage team, and funnily enough, in our second casting meeting we had almost chosen the exact same talent across the board.
On set, these kids brought that same fun, upbeat energy that we felt in their tapes, and they were super excited to be there. While some were a little bit more reserved than others, cohesively they were troopers and embraced the grittiness of the urban landscape, achieving that down-in-the-dirt mentality which was crucial to the spot.
LBB> When it came to aesthetics and the look and feel, what were your main aims and ambitions, and how did you achieve them through lighting and colour?
Justin> From a visual perspective, I once again wanted to show that there were two sides to this story. By capturing our ‘fashion-film’ side of the campaign during the day, we were able to utilise high-key, natural lighting that showcased the application of the survival gear, while also highlighting the fun energy brought by the kids.
As our campaign then takes a dark turn, literally, it was important to express the harsh reality that homeless youth face by capturing a child isolated within a dark alleyway as the visuals become cold and eerie. By doing this, we were able to change the mood and tone instantaneously in a climactic, eye-opening moment that shocks the audience. Special thanks to Nina Djacic (DOP) and her team for their hard work and run and gun mentality!
LBB> The soundtrack for the spot hits just right - feeling like a fashion commercial and providing great juxtaposition for the final shot. What was the search process like for the music?
Hemal & Steve> We worked with Ted Rosnick and the folks at Vapor RMW to find a licensed track that screamed fashion. It needed to match the high-energy nature of our spot and also work a runway. After searching through a ton of tracks, we found one that really resonated: ‘Got That Style’ by Lunaluxe. Everything from the infectious beat to the fitting lyrics made it a perfect match for our film.
LBB> How long was the post production process? And in general, how was post?
Justin> The post production process was amazing! Knowing we had a relatively quick turnaround, myself and Izzy at School Editing had one session before presenting our cut to Courage, and by the end of it, we were both extremely happy with our cut, which wasn’t too far off from the final campaign that is out today!
LBB> The collection made its debut at Fashion Art Toronto. How did people react, and as a whole, how have people responded to this campaign?
Hemal & Steve> We sought out Fashion Art Toronto, the city's longest running fashion week, as a perfect fit for the collection's debut. Impassioned by the cause, Fashion Art Toronto graciously allowed us to crash the event with our own time slot on the second day. The collection was well-received by the audience, who were not only shocked by it, but also by the unsettling facts around Canada’s youth homelessness epidemic.
LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them?
Hemal & Steve> The aim was to launch our campaign during National Youth Homlessness Awareness Month, which meant that we had to design a collection, shoot a spot, and launch a fashion show under a tight timeline. And, since the entire campaign revolved around the collection, that meant we had to work diligently and quickly with our designers to create our five unique pieces - without compromising on quality and craft.
Justin> One of the biggest challenges we faced was scheduling and location moves. In order to capture the entirety of the collection in various vignettes/settings, we had to schedule our day down to the minute - making sure our crew could safely setup, shoot and teardown throughout the day. As well as this, shooting both motion and stills was slightly ambitious, but we managed to find a healthy balance to ensure we got the footage and images we needed. Thanks to the team at Undivided Creative (Scott, Christa and Ivy), our day went super smoothly!
LBB> Is there a certain piece in the collection which stands out to you, or carries significant weight?
Hemal & Steve> They all serve as their own statement piece, highlighting some of the major issues affecting youth homelessness today. However, if there’s one that stands out most it’s the ‘Tap-Me Teddy’, which uses tap technology so kids can panhandle in a cashless society. It also comes with extra durable, rip-free fabric so it can survive the elements. It’s one of those pieces that really catches people off guard and sparks outrage – grounding it in a real issue that is unsettling for many.
Justin> Within this collection, each individual streetwear item came together perfectly, from colour palette to aesthetic, I loved every bit of it! If I had to choose one item that sticks out to me though, it would be the ‘Kevlar Kicks’. As a kid that grew up getting his fingernails dirty while rolling around in the dirt, one thing I learned is that clothes don't last long in those conditions. When I think about a kid just being a kid - especially one who’s running around the streets - a durable shoe would go a long way! I’m also a sneaker-head, so that may have steered me in a little bit of a biased direction.
LBB> What did the chance to be involved in this project mean to you?
Hemal & Steve> Many of us don’t have the lived experience of homelessness. But, we see it everyday. So for us, working with an organisation like Raise the Roof gave us a full picture of the issue. Homelesnsess isn’t just what you see on the street. Many times it’s hidden – people who aren’t counted by the system because they crash at friends’ houses, sleep over with extended family, or have to live in their car.
As such, it was a privilege to help bring awareness to Canada’s youth homlessness crisis, and raise much-needed funds to support homelessness prevention programs across Canada. We weren’t just working with a brand, we were working with an organisation that makes a real change in people’s lives. While the concept collection isn’t available for mass purchase, each piece is fully functional and specifically designed to help Canadian youth survive a life of homelessness. The collection is real. The issue is real. And you can help make a difference by buying a toque at RaisingTheRoof.org.
Justin> I would say the thing that I am most proud of within this campaign is the fact that so many people were able to come together from production to agency to create a project that has a powerful impact and message behind it. I have never worked on anything like this before, and I hope that this campaign will be an eye opener for the audience when it comes to youth homelessness across Canada.
LBB> The press release discussed the apathy that Canadians often show towards the homeless - even the youth population. How can Canadians do better?
Shoshana> Canadians may not fully understand the realities of those experiencing homelessness in Canada, let alone the fact that 20% of the homeless population are youth. I’d love to see more Canadians getting involved, raising awareness for this growing problem and demanding change. A great way to start that would be by purchasing a Raising the Roof toque. While our ‘Streetswear by RTR’ collection isn’t available for purchase, [the toque] is a very real piece of clothing that can make a difference. For $25, Canadians can show their support - helping us to raise needed funds for supporting homeless prevention programs, and helping us end homelessness in Canada.
