Fruit in a park, sure... But Laurence at a fashion show?

In the morning I took the bus downtown to el Parque el Ejido, where I had a lot of fun just walking around and reminiscing. The huge cup full of fruit cost $1... aka I'm in paradise. I went to la Casa de la Cultura to check out some art, and then bought a few gifts in the artisanal market. 

At night, I went to a fashion show with Gaby and Juanse. What? Yep. It was put on by the Ministry for Justice and Human Rights, which is where Gaby works. Her job revolves around the prison system and ensuring integration back into society. The fashion show was to show off work created by women in jail who, through a ministry project, designed and created various pieces of clothing.

I had never been to a fashion show before, and when we got there I felt quite out of place. First of all, Gaby's name was on a special list, and we were allowed in because she was allowed in. El Museo de la Ciudad (The City Museum), which is located in the historical district, was transformed into a venue for the night. I was poured a glass of whisky and took part in small talk about fashion... But anybody who knows me knows that I know absolutely nothing about fashion! Juanse and I started talking about colonization (Damn you, Christopher Columbus), which is a conversation I am much more interested in having and can actually contribute to. It was an eclectic group of people, from men in expensive suits to 20-something-year-olds in modern funky clothing. The show was an experience. It was actually held in the old hospital's church, which turned out to be a really neat place to have a fashion show.

Two main observations: 1. The show was about female prisoners (who were not present) yet only men spoke about the project, and 2. I guarantee that the majority of the female models were underweight, and I would bet my right hand that at least half of them had eating disorders. Welcome to the fashion world, I suppose.