As a tribute to senior fathers, the Senior Center at United Community Center honored them with a fashion show with help from the Sewing Ladies, women from a sewing group who made the attire.
For years, the UCC Senior Center has celebrated women through Mother’s Day fashion shows, quinceañeras and other special occasions, but this time Agnes Rodriguez, the organization’s director of Aging and Disabilities Programs, said it was time to celebrate the men. They created a special day to feature them modeling on a runway in the senior dining room in front of hundreds of friends and family members.
“At first, the activity coordinator and I didn’t think the guys would want to do that,” Rodriguez said. “We’re celebrating them and they are the stars.”
According to Rodriguez, 17 men ages 60 to 87 signed up to participate in the fashion show. Women from the Sewing Ladies had less than a month to sew a shirt for each man.
“The men didn’t see the shirt the ladies made for them until the day before or the day of the fashion show,” Rodriguez said.
There’s a first time for everything
Among the men who participated in the fashion show was Carlos Barron, 76, who’s been attending the UCC Senior Center for over five years. It was his first time walking in a fashion show.
“I didn’t think about signing up, I just went for it,” Barron said. “I wasn’t nervous to do it because I’m never nervous, I was just happy in a way I couldn’t describe.”
For the fashion show, a woman from the sewing group made him a light-yellow shirt and paired it with a cowboy hat and boots.
Rodriguez said she admired the pride Barron and the other men had when walking down the runway.
“They were proud of doing it the wrong way,” she said about how the men walked down the de facto runway. “There really was a lot of individual and community pride.”
Barron is also a member of the center’s singing group Grupo Renacer and said he appreciated how the center put thought into the men and understood that fatherhood is important.
“Father’s Day is every day,” he said. “Not just one day.”
The fashion show also included a dance performance from Son y Tradición, a senior troupe of six Mexican and Puerto Rican dancers.
Sewing behind the scenes
Working behind the scenes to ensure that the ladies in the sewing group were doing well was sewing instructor Dalgis Hechavarria.
Hechavarria grew up watching her mother sew, then went to sewing school in Cuba to advance her skills before teaching others.
Hechavarria, who has taught seniors at the center how to sew for two years, said she found joy in seeing their progress because they had a desire to listen and learn.
“I feel happy that I’m doing something useful for other older adults like me,” Hechavarria said. “It’s very stimulating.”
Hechavarria said her main challenge while preparing for the fashion show was working with some seniors who never sewed a shirt before.
“I had to be more involved because they never had this experience,” she said. “It was a big challenge”
Among those who created a shirt for the men’s fashion show was Catalina Flores, 79, who has 18 years of sewing experience.
Flores’ task was to sew a blue long sleeve shirt.
“I was a little anxious about the shirt because I’m a perfectionist,” Flores said. “I will go home and think about the shirt because I want it to come out good.”
Flores said the shirt took about two to three weeks to complete because tasks like this require more strength and steadiness, and she’s been experiencing poor vision as she ages.
“The teacher helped a lot, especially when sewing the collar was the hardest part for me,” Flores said.
Bringing life back into the seniors
Rodriguez said events like this for seniors are important because it minimizes depression, loneliness and other mental health issues.
“Many just came from their country or they move out of different states and they’re looking for a community to connect in and show their abilities,” she said. “We take their abilities and interests then transform little by little at their own pace.”
The UCC Senior Center plans on making the fashion show for fathers an annual event. Though the Sewing Ladies typically sew dresses and children’s clothing, they plan to do more projects for boys and men.
How to get involved
If you are interested in becoming a part of the UCC Senior Center, you must be a Milwaukee County resident 60 or older.
Rodriguez said to call 414-384-3100 to schedule a time to come in and sign up.
All programming is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays.
More information here.
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