North Bergen student felt 'no option' but to withdraw from Abu Dhabi fashion competition
CJ King felt prepared for anything that could go wrong at the Junk Kouture World Final, the world’s largest sustainable fashion competition for youth.
Maybe the long blue-and-white dress that earned his team a spot in the finals would get lost on its voyage to Abu Dhabi. Or perhaps feathered wings that stand taller than he does would fall apart.
But the North Bergen High School student was “blindsided” by what actually went wrong — he couldn’t walk on the runway in that gown because of his gender.
Moments before the competition began, King’s teacher Steven Defendini broke the news that local authorities would not allow a boy to wear women’s clothing on stage. United Arab Emirates law prohibits men from wearing women’s clothing, and people who do so could face imprisonment.
Defendini and King, along with his classmate and co-designer Jazzlynn Vargas, decided to withdraw from the competition altogether.
“It was a forced withdrawal,” King said. “There was literally no other option.”
King, Vargas and their teammate Josselyn Garcia made it to the finals after giving new life to materials used to save lives, with support from Defendini and fashion design teacher Marlene Sapoff. They created the long blue-and-white dress out of recycled pool insulation foam and blue wrap, a medical material that contributes to 19% of medical waste.
Their gown itself was a “love letter to nurses,” King said. The team named the rose-covered gown, emblazoned with the nursing profession’s signature cross, “The Nightingale” after nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale
The students were supposed to compete against nine other teams from the United States and 50 teams from the U.K., Italy, France, Ireland and the U.A.E.
King risked arrest if he walked, and no one else could wear the gown. Abu Dhabi authorities flagged other contest’s outfits for sporting rainbow colors — UAE also criminalizes same-sex activity — but allowed them to adjust their designs. The Nightingale, though, only fits King.
Junk Kouture leadership supported King, he said. The CEO tried to keep The Nightingale in the competition. Defendini, King’s teacher, had verified with Junk Kouture that the student could walk the runway. King was aware of UAE’s anti-LGBTQ laws before the trip, but he felt “safe and protected” during four days of travel and rehearsals in the city. It wasn’t until the fifth and final day, moments before the competition, that his identity and participation was questioned.
King continued feeling supported when he returned to North Bergen High School. Art department staff sported rainbow T-shirts with his face on them. One teacher dedicated a rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” to The Nightingale design team at a school singing showcase.
The North Bergen designers plan to donate the gown and wings to a local hospital.
But King hopes he can keep the wings. In fact, he’s excited to sport a large tattoo of angel wings on his back when he portrays the Tattooed Man in his school’s production of “The Greatest Showman.”
“I have a very deep connection with angels now,” he said through a laugh.
The hiccup at Junk Kouture World Final did not stop King from pursuing his modeling dreams. He’s participating in a fashion show in spring, where he might present “a look or two inspired by the competition.” He graduates from North Bergen this spring, and plans to study fashion history next year.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: North Bergen student 'forced' out of Abu Dhabi fashion contest
