08/27/2026
Dreamers Uniform Tour Inspires Plainfield Youth to Believe in What’s Possible
PLAINFIELD, NJ – August 27, 2026 – What began as a phone call and a shared desire to do something meaningful for Plainfield’s young people became an experience centered on dreams, perseverance, possibility and the power of community.
On Thursday, August 27, Plainfield Public Schools welcomed designer and entrepreneur Milan Harris, founder and CEO of Milano Di Rouge, to the Plainfield Performing Arts Center for the Dreamers Uniform Tour, bringing students and families together for an afternoon that offered much more than clothing.
Students heard firsthand what it means to believe in a vision before anyone else can see it, to keep going when the path is uncertain and to understand that where they begin does not have to determine where they finish.
“There's one message I want to place in your hearts. Dream beyond what you see,” Plainfield Board of Education President Hanae M. Wyatt told students. “What you see around you today does not have to be the limit of what you see for yourself tomorrow. Your circumstances do not determine the size of your dreams. Where you start does not determine where you finish.”
For Wyatt, that message was at the heart of what she hoped students would take away from the day.
“Today, you're going to see Milano Di Rouge, the clothes, the brand, and all her success. But I want you to see Milan before Milano,” Wyatt said. “Before the success, before people knew her name, before there was proof that the dream would work, there was a young woman with a vision who had to believe in herself enough to begin.”
The road to bringing the Dreamers Uniform Tour to Plainfield began with Tressiliane “Tress” Parker, First Lady of Calvary Baptist Church and President of Sister2Sister, Inc., and Jackie P. Taylor, founder of Boost Legacy Impact Foundation, who works with Harris. The two saw an opportunity for Plainfield youth and families to benefit from the tour and began reaching out to community leaders to help bring that vision to life.
Board commissioner DeShawne Allen-Jordan was among those who helped initiate the local connection, bringing the opportunity to Wyatt's attention and encouraging her to connect with Parker.
What began as a conversation about hosting an event quickly became a deeper discussion about community, young people and the importance of giving students access to people, experiences and opportunities that allow them to see beyond what they already know. From there, an early vision for the Plainfield experience began to take shape.
That vision ultimately grew into a collaborative effort among Sister2Sister, Inc., Boost Legacy Impact Foundation, Plainfield Public Schools, and the City of Plainfield.
“When we create opportunities for our students to hear from people who turned their dreams into reality, we help them see what is possible for their own lives,” said Acting Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Filippatos. “Experiences like this remind our students that their dreams are worth pursuing.”
For Taylor, bringing the tour to Plainfield represents the beginning of something larger.
“The Boost Legacy Impact Foundation is so honored to host the Jersey leg of the Dreamers Tour with Milano Di Rouge,” said Jackie P. Taylor, founder of Boost Legacy Impact Foundation. “This is just the beginning of us bringing resources and opportunities to Plainfield.”
Harris spoke candidly with students about the journey behind Milano Di Rouge and the sacrifices that came before the success they see today.
Founded in 2012, Milano Di Rouge was built around a message that has remained central to the brand. Encouraging everyday dreamers, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to believe there is more ahead of them than what they may see in the moment.
The conversation also gave Plainfield students a seat at the table. Plainfield High School seniors Kelsey Fearon, Richard Wyatt III and Terrell Henderson, junior Ashly Chacon, and Anthony Romero, co-section leader for trumpet in the Plainfield High School Band, joined Harris for the fireside chat. Seated at the front facing the audience, the students modeled clothing from Milano Di Rouge while taking part in the conversation and hearing directly from the woman behind the brand.
Fearon used the opportunity to ask Harris a question that opened the door to an important part of her journey: “When did you realize that you couldn't do it alone and needed a team?”
Harris shared one of those defining moments with Plainfield students. In 2016, as she worked to grow Milano Di Rouge beyond a store and into a brand that could inspire others, she stopped paying herself so she could invest in building her team.
“I didn't know how I was going to do it. I just knew it was by the grace of God,” Harris told students.
Her message throughout the program was simple and one she asked students to repeat for themselves.
“Dreamers don't quit!”
Harris also challenged students to think beyond accomplishments and appearances.
“Who you are matters. Your happiness matters. Your desire to win, your character matters. Your integrity matters,” she said. “Who you are when no one's watching matters.”
Following the program, students and families had an opportunity to shop Milan's Dream Closet, where Harris and Milano Di Rouge provided an abundance of complimentary clothing in sizes ranging from infant through 3X.
But the clothing was only one part of what students took home.
“The clothing may be the gift, but the dream is the investment,” Wyatt said.
The larger gift was an opportunity to meet the woman behind the brand, hear the story behind the success and see firsthand what can happen when an idea is matched with perseverance, faith, and the courage to begin.
“Somewhere in this room is an entrepreneur who hasn't started their business yet. An artist who hasn't painted their best work. A leader who hasn't discovered their voice yet. An inventor with an idea that hasn't been done,” Wyatt told students. “Some of you may not even know what your vision is yet. And that's okay because you're just at the beginning.”
Joining Wyatt and district leadership for the event were Plainfield Board of Education Vice President Victor L. Webb, Jr. and Board members Dr. Lamont Harris and Tamara Douglas. District leaders in attendance included Acting Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Filippatos; School Business Administrator and Board Secretary Cameron E. Cox; Chief of Information Technology Chris Payne; and Public Information Officer Vashon Lamont Hill.
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For more information on the Plainfield Public School District or this story, please contact the Office of Public Information at [email protected] or by phone at, (908) 731-4442.
