Kuia takes to the catwalk at Breast Cancer Now's fashion show
Here's our wonderful colleague Kuia Newman gracing the catwalk at the Breast Cancer Now Fashion Show in London.
Kuia has twice been diagnosed with breast cancer but has made an excellent recovery and in her role as our Belvedere store's community champion is at the heart of its fundraising and awareness work for Tickled Pink, which supports Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel.
Cheered on by her husband Keith, daughter Sian and fellow Asda community champions, Kuia modelled alongside 23 other men and women with similar experiences and says it was a day she'll never forget.
She said: "It was such an amazing day, just fantastic. It was more emotional than I thought it would be – I spent most of it crying!
"The day was just a whole host of emotions, a crazy day, a day of celebration. I woke up the next day and I just thought 'did I just dream that?'
"The people who walked the catwalk were just so amazing and inspiring. We all got on so, so well. It was a day none of us thought we'd ever do. It is a fashion show like no other. We are not just random people, we are all united.
"Although our bodies may not be perfect and we have scars, we’ve faced a dark time and now we deserve to be in the spotlight.
"We did a dress rehearsal, which was very nerve-wracking, but when we did the two shows everyone was just so calm. The audience really geed us up, especially on the afternoon show. The roar when the first person took to the catwalk was unbelievable."
Kuia wore three outfits for the show – a dress, jacket and boots from George at Asda in the first scene, a dress from George at Asda in the third scene and a dress from Closet London in the closing scene.
"I loved every minute of it," she said. "Everyone was lovely and the team back stage were just brilliant."
Kuia's husband Keith and her 21-year-old daughter Sian, who also works at Asda Belvedere, supported her during the evening show from front row seats, while her sister Nikki, together with some of her friends plus fellow Asda community champions Caroline Pettican from our Charlton store and Claire Fosbeary from Asda Sittingbourne attended the afternoon show.
Kuia said: "The support we had was simply amazing, everyone was so proud."
Kuia was first diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 28, and Sian was only two years old. She said: "My goal was to survive long enough to see her first day at school – and now she's 21 and works with me!"