Not every fashion show gets to sit Madonna front row, or dress Model of the Year (and V153 cover star) Alex Consani in Valentino. Even fewer, perhaps, see Cynthia Nixon walk the runway. Certainly, nobody else has dressed Connie Fleming in Pedro Pascal’s 2023 Oscars suit (a piece that happens to be up for sale online today!). But then again, not every runway show is a Mother, Daughter, Holy Spirit event.

Last month, designers, activists, and performers alike made their way to New York City’s One for One for “Mother,” the first stage of actor Bobbi Salvör Menuez and Willbees founder John Mollett’s three-part fundraising effort known collectively as Mother, Daughter, Holy Spirit. Built around a runway show, an auction, and a party, with artist t-shirts for sale throughout all, it is the pair’s fourth collaborative fundraiser — and by far their biggest venture yet. Following the success of their 2021 “I <3 Me” campaign, which supported G.L.I.T.S. (Gays & Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society), it is the culmination of a decade-long working relationship, months of brainstorming, and a community just as dedicated to the cause.

The cause is, of course, raising money for the Trans Justice Funding Project, a community-led trust that distributes resources across local grassroots initiatives run by and for Trans people. Supporting organizations across all 50 states, TJFP operates with the knowledge that each region has their own set of emergencies and priorities when it comes to protecting Trans rights, and is equipped to provide support where it’s needed most.

“G.L.I.T.S. is actually one of the orgs that Trans Justice Funding Project supports,” Menuez explains as I connect with the co-founders. “When we went into this, we were like, ‘should we do G.L.I.T.S. again?’ But I wanted to go even bigger.” Mission accomplished. “Right now is the time,” Mollett recalls thinking months ago, during their early conversations in light of the 2024 election. “We were like, ‘let’s put our brains together, our creativity together. Who knows what’s going to happen? Who knows if it’s going to be a success?’” He pauses. “And we came together and here we are now talking to you.”

For their inaugural event, the hosts combined a traditional runway format with the individualized approach of ball culture for a vibrant, colorful salon full of blue eye shadow, vintage leather, archival Jean Paul Gaultier, paper grocery bags carrying flowers, and even a baguette or two. Much like the crowd they drew, the eclectic collection of looks, which included a Gap x Palace jacket styled with a Celine leopard print skirt and Chloë Sevigny’s Vivienne Westwood clutch, evoked a sense of unexpected unity. You couldn’t anticipate pristine suiting and tweed next to a ruffled mini skirt exposing the straps of a thong or a cropped graphic tee, but somehow, the patchwork of palettes, silhouettes, and styles made perfect sense. 

Perhaps that is because the off-season event, despite showing the most exciting names in our current fashion landscape, wasn’t actually about the collection of looks. The designs from Willy Chavarria, Tanner Fletcher, Vaquera, and Diotima were spectacular, no doubt, but it was the mission of the show that brought Chase Strangio, the first openly transgender attorney to argue before the Supreme Court, and Mia Khalifa under the same roof. At its core, the “Mother” runway wasn’t a vessel to display new styles — it was a platform to celebrate Trans joy, creativity, and power. 

“Spiritually, energetically, it was a larger idea of resistance through creativity,” Mollett explains. “I don’t think it would have mattered if we were like, ‘hey we’re doing hand-painted t-shirts.’ It was great that Valentino was there and great that all these big fashion names were there, but I think that people were more looking for something that has not been out there since November that said, ‘hey we want to celebrate, we want to create beauty as a form of resistance, as a form of getting community together.’”

Early on, Mollett and Menuez knew a few things about what they wanted from what would become Mother, Daughter, Holy Spirit. They had a clear vision for the ethos of the initiative, and knew how successful an auction could be from their past work on “I <3 Me.” They knew they could tap into their networks for designer pieces, and had the idea of breaking things up into a three-part structure. But as they continued to expand and refine their objectives, Menuez tells me, MDHS took on a life of its own.

“Then it was just like, what are our connections? What is the village when we call everyone into the square, you know? It’s artists, it’s people who work in fashion. Well how do we show the clothes?” They pause. “And then, not everyone can afford the Gaultiers. So maybe we do artist t-shirts. Then, how do we engage the more high end pieces or the pieces that are starting to come in from these iconic, cultural taste-making people – Pedro Pascal, Chloë Sevigny, Hari Neff, Lena Waithe? And then we thought, well, it could be fun to do a runway show. John had experience playing with that format on different projects previously and I’ve worked in fashion. Then we’re like, ‘we should of course have a party at the end.’ One thing just led to another.”

Finding collaborators for the runway show, t-shirt designs, and “Daughter” closet sales was an organic snowballing, a mix of the power of the mission and the magic of New York. Mollett reached out to his old friend Julie Ragolia to style the show, and later ended up at a party with Qween Jean at Cynthia Nixon’s apartment; Menuez ran into Paloma Elsesser at an Ekhaus Latta show who mentioned Consani would be interested as well.

One of the core team members at MDHS, Head of Production Lío Mehiel, recalls seeing Menuez’s Instagram call out for volunteers for an undisclosed fundraiser. “I DM’d them saying – hey, my partner has a Subaru and I have a license, let me know if I can help. They ended up reaching out the next month to tell me about the project in full and ask if I wanted to come on as Head of Production. I didn’t expect to be invited into such a critical role, but the mission of the project alongside what Bobbi and John had already set up really inspired me, so I just jumped in.”

“There was this kind of force beyond us that was flowing through the project,” Menuez continues. “There was a magnetic quality to the reality of the mission, which is raising money for Trans justice and being public and vocal that we are in alignment with the liberation and protection of Trans people. And the celebration of Trans people.”

Mollett agreed. “As people talked about it, they said, ‘oh, I have a friend who I think would be perfect.’ We threw out the seeds and some of those seeds became nothing, but the ones that decided to grow became wildflowers. And that’s what kind of made this perfect mix of ‘why is that person there? Why is that person there?’ Because we weren’t really super strict on curation. I think our curation was partly energetic in the sense of like, ‘who is continuing to engage us? Who’s continuing to say, ‘this is important to me.’ And let’s go in that direction.”

“It just built and built and built,” Menuez chimes in. “Especially because of this moment – everyone who basically has a heart was like, ‘yes, sign me up, how can I be of service? This is really important.’”

Another collaborator, designer Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen, can confirm. “Bobbi approached me with the concept several months ago and asked if I would donate some pieces for the runway and closet sale,” she tells me. “Beauty is a powerful tool, and using it to uplift communities under threat, especially within the current political climate, felt like the least I could do with the gifts I have been given. To also have the opportunity to work with such an incredible all star team of creatives was incredible.”

The Brooklyn-based artist’s approach includes transforming discarded home goods — tablecloths, linens, tea towels — into handcrafted, medieval-influenced sculptural collections that highlight the “psychic weight that objects carry through their creation.” “For these to then be used to uplift and bring together a community,” she says when discussing the collaboration, “is the absolute dream place for them to live.”

For the “Mother” runway, she dressed model Colin Jones in a full look: a stomacher tank made of deadstock cotton rib and a layered bustle skirt made of pillows and linen that were formerly used as tablecloths for Menuez’ wedding to artist Quori Theodor last summer. As MDHS moves into Step Two, the “Daughter” closet sales, she tells me that while the skirt is, understandably, not for sale, the tank and other corsets, button-downs, and skirts will be available soon. 

The “Daughter” closet sales, which have officially kicked off, will continue throughout the month of May in the format of surprise drops. Announced online, each drop will be composed of pieces from the runway show, items straight out of the closets of Julia Fox, Chloë Sevigny, and Pedro Pascal, and looks donated from designers themselves. Note: Today, Pascal’s 2023 Oscars suit worn by Connie Fleming is for sale.

Looking forward, Menuez, Mollett, and Mehiel all emphasize that MDHS is just the beginning — a step towards reimagining the world we live in. 

“As news about the runway show went viral online, it became clear to us that people are hungry for positive, community-led, and life-affirming efforts like this one to put their energy and resources towards,” Mehiel says. “Queer people and culture, and especially Trans people, survive because of the care of their chosen family, and the love of many Trans ‘mothers’ who dedicate their lives to protecting their community. Mother, Daughter, Holy Spirit evokes an alternative world in which we center the matrilineal wisdom of mothers and daughters. What would it mean to give ourselves permission to reinvent the mythology that our society is based on? ‘Father, Son, Holy Spirit’ references a patriarchal organizing structure to society so cemented in our minds that we forget it’s just a story. It can be reimagined.“More than anything, Mother, Daughter, Holy Spirit is a message to trans kids and trans people across the country and world that a loving community exists for us, joy exists for us, and beauty exists for us too. We aren’t going anywhere.”

For more information, visit motherdaughterholyspirit.nyc