5 Photos
Hats Off Alopecia is a national fashion show designed to bring awareness to alopecia areata, and tot he beautiful people who live with this condition. Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune skin condition that causes hair loss on the scalp, the face, and other parts of the human body. People of all ages, all ethnicities, and both sexes can develop alopecia areata, but unfortunately, it has been mistaken for some form of cancer or life threatening illness by the general public.
In some cases, people with alopecia areata have been denied jobs, have been victims of bullying, and have even been looked down upon during social settings… that’s why this National AlopeciaAwareness Project is so very important.
Owner, Style & Glam LLC and Pierre McCleary and International Model with alopecia.
Hats Off Alopecia National Awareness Project, Founder and Executive Producer, Pierre McCleary is an International Model with alopecia. For years, Pierre, an experienced print and runway model had to wear wigs in order to be casted or booked for various fashion shows and commercial print projects.
In 2017, Pierre decided to take off the wigs for good and allow her inner beauty to shine and speak for her character; hence, Hats Off Alopecia’s National Fashion Show “Bringing Alopecia Awareness To The Runway!” was created.
Pierre wanted the entire world to know that having alopecia is a skin condition and not a life threatening disease that should be looked down on or frowned upon. The first Hats Off Alopecia Fashion Show was held in St Louis, LA (July2017).
The show sold out and was a major success! Not only did the show bring major awareness to alopecia, it also opened a whole new platform for models and fashion designers with alopecia to share their stories and spotlight their talents.
In addition to Pierre, the show’s other Executive Producer, Allen ‘AC Atlanta’ Cotton is a former Police Officer (Richland County Police, Columbia, SC), an International Freelance Model and a Garfield HeightsProjects Pittsburgh Native. AC gained international status by doing runway shows and print work in Canada, England, and the Bahamas. AC’s positive
outlook on life and upbeat personality has put him in great demand to host various charitable events, fashion shows, and even host at the Anti-Bullying Day at Six Flags Over Georgia. At age 52, AC is a Reebok Spartan Athlete going for his trifecta, a positive energy motivator, and a fitness guru that respects and appreciates life to the fullest.
AC’s motto;”If you’re destined to be great, then Be Great On Purpose!” Both Pierre and AC have very inspiring stories about beating the odds, overcoming adversity, and making a positive difference in their own individual lives. They both hope that by setting a positive example and becoming the change they wish to see, it will be inspirational, empowering, and motivating to our younger generation that may also be against the odds for whatever the reason.
National Awareness Project extends our congratulations to Ola Jackson for being chosen as one of our first inductees to receive the Hats Off Alopecia Women of Distinction & Empowerment Award.
Although several other prominent Pittsburgh Women were considered to be our very first inductees for the Hats Off Alopecia Women of Distinction & Empowerment Award, Ola Jackson, along with Lynne Hayes-Freeland stood out in such a powerful and positive way that it became a no brainer.
Ola’s high standard of ethical conduct, integrity, and social responsibility for women exhibited by the Onyx Woman Network is amazing. Her mission to motivate and inspire women to reach their full potential by becoming confident and worthy from the inside out, embodies all the characteristics that both Pierre and AC envisioned when they created this prestigious award.
Article submitted by: Hats Off Alopecia
