Antiguan astronaut takes to New York Fashion Week

You might remember her from her trip into space with daughter last year. Keisha Schahaff was half of the first mother-daughter team from the Caribbean to travel into the cosmos. They had won places on a Virgin Galactic flight through a philanthropic fundraising draw benefiting Space for Humanity – a non-profit organization. In fact, Virgin’s Richard Branson paid a surprise visit to Keisha’s home to break the news of the space flight. She chose daughter Anastatia, a college philosophy and physics student, to join her. They didn’t actually leave the capsule but it was a first to see two Caribbean women astronauts in 2023. 

Well, Keisha was back in the headlines again recently as she took part in New York Fashion Week. She walked the runway at the 4th annual NYFW Rise Survivor Fashion Show. Schahaff took part in the event, which advocates empowerment and survivors' rights, as an ambassador for Antigua & Barbuda.

She said: “Walking in this fashion show is another step toward reclaiming my power and helping others find theirs. I hope this moment will empower people everywhere, especially survivors, to know they have the strength to rise.”

Rise founder and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen said that the Fashion Week event was a celebration of strength, resilience, and advocacy for survivors of sexual violence. This year's event, co-hosted by Forbes and Rise, spotlights changemakers from various fields including astronauts, Olympians, and other global leaders.

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