Bowties Against Bullies

On By Terri Webster SchrandtIn fashion

Bowtie

Above-Time premiered its new line of fashion accessories on August 15th in San Diego.

The buzz in the air was palpable at the premier. Friends, family, media and fashion lovers gathered for this historic event for the official brand launch of Above-Time. The models, representing diverse cultures, rocked the runway showcasing the bow-tie collection.

Taking-a-Bow
Reddick (second from right) and company take a bow after the show.

The high-energy event was greeted with enthusiastic applause and appreciation from over 80 guests as models displayed a variety of bow-ties paired with both casual and formal wear. A standing ovation greeted the models as they all paraded the runway for one last look, as Carey and crew accepted the accolades from the crowd.

Above-Time was created by Carey Reddick, Jr. and his brother, Christian in early 2015. Carey, a marketing executive, had difficulty finding up-scale fashion accessories to purchase for himself. Despite the trending popularity of bow-ties, he looked in vain for ties made of high-end materials, such as organic hemp and cotton, linens and fine leather. He wanted to portray his idea of “the well-garnished life” that wearing a well-made bow-tie would provide. From that idea, Above-Time was born.

When Reddick envisioned creating his business around high-end fashion accessories, he had no idea of the impact this dream would have.

Above-Time-Model-in-bowtieA victim of bullying himself in the second grade, Reddick clearly remembers the embarrassment of being ridiculed for his choice of hanging out with girls instead of boys. He learned at an early age that he was different. Later in life, when he discovered Interactions for Peace, he wanted to give back to the San Diego community and beyond by donating proceeds from sales of Above-Time’s products, also a San Diego-based business.

Interactions For Peace is a non-profit organization based in San Diego that aims to educate students and their families to create awareness about the behaviors of bullying. Founder and Executive Director Eden Steele, M.S., Ed.S, explains that bullying behavior will never go away, and that every one of us exhibits this behavior at some point in our lives. She describes this behavior in roles: the bully, the victim, the bystander, and the upstander. Each one of us will play at least one of these roles in our lifetime, both as children and as adults.

“INTERACTIONS FOR PEACE© includes a complete curriculum and a range of activities, experiences, workshops and programs to meet the needs of our youngest children, the complex needs of adolescents and the multifaceted needs of adults in the 21st century.”

Rather than develop the unrealistic expectation of eradicating bullying behavior, Interactions For Peace offers a variety of programs and training for schools. Students of all ages can take part in programs, as well as teachers, staff and families, and in doing so, create a culture of peacemaking, support and tolerance. The ultimate goal is to create awareness of what bullying behavior is and to educate and train students, teachers and families how to handle these behaviors.

When you purchase a bow-tie, you buy into the power of peacemaking.

Visit Above-Time for more information. Check out this short clip of the show.

31 thoughts on “Bowties Against Bullies”

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  13. I love this message. I think most schools are really trying to combat bullying. My male student teachers used to wear bow ties because it made them look professional and always got a comment or a smile from the students.

    Liked by 1 person

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