Our Story
“My dream of Transform has been percolating for over three years. I was a single mom of three with a demanding business and I knew starting a curated style of outfits for trans youth in my home was absurd. I left this dream in a quiet space in my mind.
In August Tristan put a meme up about baby showers and how it would be a great idea to celebrate trans and non-binary people who are beginning their transition. We barely knew each other but we ended up on FaceTime within an hour of the post. I showed them my basement of BRIDEface, the small back room, and I rattled off all my ideas that I could now see finally coming to fruition. Tristan had done this before and could help make it happen.
Our name emerged. Ella quickly became our third piece to this evolving puzzle. She created our brand, style, and led the charge for teen stylists and volunteers.
Our Facebook page went up instantly and immediately people showed up with bags and bags of clothes. One woman walked in with bins full of clothes, she saw that I needed help that day so she stayed. She basically never stopped coming in every week.
Bishops reached out to offer free haircuts to our clients. We didn’t even need to go knocking on doors for that. Karman immediately jumped on it. A therapist asked if they could come volunteer once a week to support the kids. Volunteers showed up in packs to help with the daunting task of sorting clothes and cleaning our ersatz storage space.
And then! We were finally ready to greet our first client. This is where the real magic began. Having them walk in to a wardrobe lovingly curated as a result of their questionnaire was beyond words. It looked like a personal shopping experience at a high end store without the intimidation that assuredly brings on doubt and self-consciousness. They had the time and space to play with looks and try on new things. We all were taken aback by the look on their face. Something happens when you feel like a million dollars in an outfit, something shifts when you can feel authentic.
And what I also didn’t anticipate was how the parents benefited. Not only is it a financial hardship to have to buy your child an entire new wardrobe, it’s stressful and emotional. We were able to bring parents into our fold who are now part of our family. The youth and families linger and hang out in the space, we bond and build organic community.
They’re coming back and volunteering and styling the next group of kids coming in. They’re taking ownership in this thing and it’s evolving into a much larger entity that’s almost undefinable. Its a center, a hub, a space. And then an amazing conversation breaks out as we make a cup of coffee and hang out."
-Nancy Dawson, Co-Founder of Transform
