One Girl Every Girl: Sheer Lingerie Charity Fashion Show

On Saturday night, I went to the lingerie fashion show hosted by Sheer and Hagar and sponsored by many stores and organizations in Hong Kong. 

Hagar is an impressive organization that helps women and children in Afghanistan, Cambodia and Vietnam regain, restore and improve their lives as they recover from sexual and physical abuse, human trafficking and exploitation. It is an undeniably good cause and I am happy I supported their efforts.
The fashion show was held on the roof of Armani / Prive, which is usually a popular al fresco drink spot with the Hong Kong clubbing/after-work/cocktail-sipping or just high-fallutin' crowd.  


Lisa, the owner of Sheer, always throws an amazing, well-coordinated and beautiful event.



You know me by now. I could not resist taking a picture of the flowers.

However, I have to admit that, watching half naked (or, more like 8/9ths naked) women prancing up and down a walkway to the admiring stares of men and women alike bothered me somewhat, because the message and purpose of the event seemed to contradict the physical reality of the show.  


Do not misunderstand me.  I really enjoyed the show. And I do not think there is anything wrong with a lingerie fashion show, and I actually enjoyed every bit of it. I think the garments were absolutely beautiful and I ooh'ed and ahh'ed over all of the beautiful models.  I am really glad I went.

But I also could not help but think that it was precisely this sensual, lascivious presentation that had brought the audience members to the yard (so to speak).  And it seemed unavoidable that the point of the event was to fight against objectification of women.  Thus I find myself with only questions and no good answers.

Does the charity event that aims to help empower and enfranchise women really do the mission justice when it parades women up and down as objects, albeit in a safe, enjoyable and beautiful setting?  In the end, did the event eviscerate the message, because in the end, everything still focused on women's bodies?  Is it bad that all of the money raised (and I hope it was substantial) for a good cause was ultimately derived from an activity that, while perfectly legal and legitimate, arguably goes to the very root of the problem?   But then what if the event had never occurred and the money had not been raised?  And am I perpetuating the viscious cycle if I post the pictures that I took at the event?