“When I got married, I was not allowed to dress up or use make-up. My husband accused me of having affairs simply because I wanted to express myself through fashion and beauty.”
The abuse that former educator and Brisbane resident Leanne (not her real name) experienced throughout her marriage was not just physical.
Dress to Express will close Brisbane Fashion Festival on Friday, August 25.Credit: Beyond DV
Like many other victim-survivors of domestic violence, it started with coercive control, an often subtle but highly pervasive form of abuse involving patterns of manipulation, control and isolation.
“I didn’t know until much later, after [my children and I escaped], about coercive control,” Leanne said.
The founder of Brisbane-based charity Beyond DV, Carolyn Robinson, didn’t understand the full spectrum of domestic violence either – until it affected her family.
While supporting her daughter through court proceedings, Robinson realised her daughter had suffered physical violence and coercive control.
“[At the time] I just thought this person is controlling, I had no idea that that was an abusive relationship,” Robinson said.
In an effort to raise more awareness around domestic violence and coercive control, Robinson has partnered with this year’s Brisbane Fashion Festival to host the first Dress to Express Day, which will officially close out the five-day festival on Friday, August 25.
Participants are invited to wear their favourite outfit and meet at King George Square with Beyond DV, Brisbane Fashion Festival staff, and other ambassadors to walk through Queen Street Mall in solidarity with domestic violence survivors.
