ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — “We would be doing our second to last show right now, so I’m not as tired as I would be,” said Meghan Mundy, with a laugh. Mundy founded the annual Rochester Fashion Week off of a vision 10 years ago that was inspired by her visit to Toronto Fashion Week.

Mundy said that vision came to life when she reached out to Elaine Spaull, Executive Director of Center for Youth, to partner up. The two said it was a match made in heaven.

“I wanted to involve a charity, at the time I had young children, and thought it was a good idea to do a charity started by teens and help teens,” said Mundy. For 50 years, the center has been providing a safe space for youth who are displaced, homeless, or struggling.

“I mean, you get a call 10 years ago, from someone you don’t know, now its become one of the most important things,” said Spaull. She and Mundy say the week has grown to feel like one big family reunion.

Naturally, the two’s decision to hold off on the Fashion Week this fall due to COVID-19 concerns, was a heartbreaking one.

“I said okay, we’re not going to be able to do it, and I literally cried for two hours because I have so much of my heart and soul put into it,” said Mundy. She said as the two anticipated a possible surge in COVID-19 cases in the fall, they decided it was better to not take a chance. “The beauty is the energy, so to do something virtual wouldn’t translate,” said Mundy. “I’m thinking about how many people I hug during week, so to not be able to do that would feel so different.”

As a result, the Center for Youth is taking a hit of nearly a half a million dollars, according to Spaull. “The safety for our young people, in terms of housing security, would’ve been counterintuitive for us to do an event that wasn’t safe,” she said.

Spaull said thanks to donors, the center can continue to play an important role in this time. She said the biggest problem we face, is the young people who are out of school, disconnected and without support. “We have to step up for them, we are losing too many kids…so we are losing money, more importantly losing lives – that’s a more important problem,” she said.

On the fashion side of things, Mundy said not having the week is also affecting local designers, boutiques, hair salons – and more. “Designers reach out, I get an email every other day, asking ‘are we doing anything’, boutiques I’ve done the rounds with, a lot of businesses are down a percentage doing other activities to try and get business rolling,” said Mundy.

But Mundy and Spaull said they’re going to be back, and better than ever to help those businesses, and the center. They said they’re planning on the possibility of safe outdoor events in 2021. For now, they just miss the in-person energy and sense of community that works for a greater cause.

“What we lost was the energy, the creativity, the enjoyment, the gift to this community,” said Spaull.

“I think everybody just misses the energy and giving back to the community in such a fun and glamorous way,” said Mundy.

Click here to donate to Center for Youth.