Breast cancer survivors bare surgical scars at New York Fashion Week to model lingerie for mastectomy patients

1 in 8 women in the US will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, researchers say

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Breast cancer survivors and patients took to the runway at New York Fashion Week to model lingerie designed specifically for women recovering from breast reconstruction and mastectomy surgeries.

Pennsylvanian lingerie label AnaOno joined forces with US charity #Cancerland for the second-year running to produce the show in the American fashion capital at the Angel Orsenzanz Foundation on Sunday.

Women of all ethnicities, shapes and sizes walked down the catwalk in AnaOno’s feminine designs, with many proudly revealing their surgical scars with #Cancerland written on their bare bodies.

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The show was hosted by Academy award-winning actress Mira Sorvino, who was one of the four actresses to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment in a New Yorker article published in October last year.

“We at #Cancerland believe that this year’s show will send a clear message to our worldwide audience, that those afflicted by breast cancer will not settle for anything less than a solution to this health epidemic,” reads the event’s Facebook page.

All proceeds from the show went to #Cancerland, which aims to give breast cancer victims a media platform to share their stories.

The Philadelphia-based lingerie and loungewear label was founded by Dana Donofree after she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 27 and ultimately underwent a double mastectomy as part of her treatment.

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“I began to design the first pieces out of my own necessity and desire for pretty, sexy, beautiful lingerie during a recovery period that was everything but,” she explains on her website.

“I made it my mission to design specifically for those who’ve had breast reconstruction, breast surgery, mastectomy, or are living with other conditions that cause pain or discomfort because I believe that comfort should not be a compromise.”