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VIDEO OUT TODAY: THE BIGGER PLANS PROJECT

It all started when Lachi expressed she wanted to do something for New York Fashion Week, centered on fashion inclusion. And she and I came together, to develop a way to share the beauty of inclusive fashion, with the world.

And readers, if you have been keeping up with this blog for a while, you’ll definitely remember the shots released last September 2020 of Lachi rocking some inclusive designer pieces.

After NYFW came to a close, the synergy to keep building, on what we started, rang loud.

I remember sitting in my car, at the metro station just outside of Milan, asking Lachi in New York:
“Do you have a new song you need a video for?”

And just like that, The Bigger Plans Project was born (no more than a month and a half ago)!

When I first heard the song Bigger Plans by Lachi (produced by INVIDA) I thought, this is the right message at the right time, for all of us!

“NO MATTER WHAT, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A CHANCE YEAH, WE GOT BIGGER PLANS” SINGS LACHI.

Right now in Milan, we are going through a new round of lockdowns. Everyone is feeling the pressure of COVID-19 worldwide; but throughout this hard time Lachi’s lyrics ring through

The picture shows 2 balck ladies, Lachi on the left and Zazel on the right. Lachi has long curly hair and is wearing a black fitted blouse. She is smiling and embracing Zazel with her left arm. Zazel is standing, smiling, wearing a red fitted blouse and a black bustier underneath. She has her hands on a multi-color walking cane. Behind them a green screen

"IT'S OKAY TO BELIEVE, NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE GONNA MAKE IT."

The idea of having Zazel O’Garra dancing solo, came to Lachi as we brainstormed on what story we wanted to tell and whom to involve. We needed somebody that, like us, believed in the power of inclusion at all levels and across all fields. 

Zazel, a brain tumor survivor and owner of ZCO Dance Studios, embodies beauty, strength, resilience and hard work. And wow, it was such an honor to work with such an accomplished actress, dancer and model. Lachi, Zazel and I went through calls, emails, zooms and whatsapp messaging sessions regularly for almost three weeks, challenging boundaries, time zones and personal schedules!

Lachi loved the idea of telling a story of transformation, which sparked the visual in my head of having Zazel pass from a more comfortable outfit to a more powerful and revealing one.

The picture shows Zazel , a black woman with very short hair, wearing a red fitted blouse, The blouse is half open and you can see a black bustier underneath. She is in a dancing pose with her right hand touching her right shulder and her left arm out. Green screen behind her

Everything Zazel wears in the video is made with love by American, British and Italian designers who committed to the message. Loving the concept, brands came on board one by one, prior to having even heard the song first-simply driven by the same energy as Lachi and I.
The brands and designers involved all moved mountains to make it possible for Zazel, to wear just the right outfits and gather the resources necessary to make the video production possible.

Zazel goes from wearing a turban made in soft milk fiber by Italian brand DisturbTheCancer and a hand decorated t-shirt by Italian Brand Tee-share to going bald and wearing a sexy black bustier by Parfait Lingerie underneath a red fitted blouse by our Main Sponsor Smart Adaptive Clothing.

Zazel is wearing artisanal shoes by Italian designer Chiara Ferriolo. Chiara is such a talented and careful artist who asked us to take measurements of Zazel feet, in order to make sure that, her shoes could serve Zazel’s feet and AFO brace just right.

Fun fact: I don’t know if it was me not converting centimetres into inches correctly, but doing this across the ocean on WhatsApp was quite the round-about! 

Fortunately, Zazel is a rare professional, and Chiara an extremely talented artisan. Chiara provided the perfect shoes for Zazel, to put together the perfect performance.

Another fun fact, regarding NeoWalk cane from England. I was just about to go to dinner, when Lachi and Zazel (shooting the last scene of the video), buzzed me on WhatsApp. – “Hey Lady, how do you turn the stick light on!?” (And yes…this amazing stick lights up!)

Lachi and a small production team filmed the video at Positive Exposure, an art space specifically designed for underrepresented communities to showcase their art. In fact, all of the artwork showcased in the video were pieces made by students with disabilities.

It’s been a fun, heartwarming and challenging experience working remotely on this visual art piece. But most importantly, it has been rewarding, especially collaborating with the likes of Lachi and Zazel.

This is not just business, you know?

There is a pure joy in knowing that you are contributing to a better, more inclusive, diversity-embracing world for all.

And FINALLY here is the video !!!!

Out today and screening on future platforms, all thanks to the support of amazing friends, partners and brands.

Make sure you comment, share, like and listen to it over and over again as yes:

“JUST SHINE FROM WHERE YOU ARE CAUSE YOU’RE EXACTLY WHERE YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE.”

Presented by VirgoImage Milan – www.virgoimage.com Directed by Lachi – www.lachimusic.com The Bigger Plans Project is a Music Visual Arts Piece celebrating a…

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