This weekend Born This Way Foundation is partnering with Refinery29 as a part of their 29Rooms event at New York’s Fashion Week. We asked Refinery29’s own Creative Director Albie Hueston to tell us why he is excited for our room and why you shouldn’t miss it!
We would like to thank Refinery29 for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing event. And we want encourage everyone, even if you can’t make it to New York, to record your own video and #ShoutOutKindness online!
The mission of 29Rooms is to create a beautifully interactive, highly immersive experience that sheds light on important topics, issues and independent voices. For Born This Way Foundation’s #ShoutOutKindness room, we wanted to create a positive and uplifting space which would make guests feel empowered to spread kindness. We treated the walls of the room with an iridescent lighting treatment with huge inviting questions such as “How will you be kind today?” Our guests are then given the opportunity to write their answers directly on the wall so over time the walls are filled with beautiful messages and create a strong feeling of community and kindness in the room itself.
At the beating heart of the experience we have installed a custom-built recording studio utilizing colorful panels where guests can step inside and record their #ShoutOutKindness message, and instantly share to their own social media channels to create a chain of kindness across the entire world.
Kindness starts with every one of us and as Lady Gaga said “kindness is the thing that brings us all together”. We all have the power within us to impact a friend or even a complete stranger’s life in a positive way, just by one simple act of kindness. We live in a pretty crazy world right now and it’s so crucial that we all believe in the magic of kindness.
In the #ShoutOutKindness room at 29Rooms, I most excited about being able to provide our guests with the recording space and platform to thank someone for an act of kindness and then being able to nominate someone else to do the same in the hopes of creating a viral kindness movement to spread love and joy everywhere.
The theme of this year’s 29Rooms is “Powered by People” and the entire experience is tied together by this common thread and explores how individuals can create change both big and small. In my work I have always been inspired by art pieces that evolve over time when the public is permitted to contribute to the piece, it truly becomes a living and breathing organism.
Within the #ShoutOutKindness room, I am really looking forward to witnessing our guests write their answers to the bold kindness questions that are displayed on the walls. Throughout the duration of the event, the room will progress to get more immersive as the walls grow and grow with thousands upon thousands of beautiful messages.
Even one kind word can completely change someone’s day and inspire others to do the same. Upon leaving our #ShoutOutKindness room, I encourage everyone to spread love and kindness everywhere they go because it is the very thing that makes us thrive.
That being said, I would like to #ShoutOutKindness to my best friend Kate who has been my rock and wiped the tears off my face during some very difficult times, I honestly don’t know where I would be without her!
Now it’s your turn. Who would you like to #ShoutOutKindess to? Tell us in the comments and share it on social!
