Toward the end of the “Freedom and Fashion” show, held Thursday in Ackerman Grand Ballroom, a model walked down the runway in a dress that seemed to embody the ideas of the entire event.
The dress, emblazoned with words such as “fashion,” “hope,” “courage,” “self-worth” and “freedom,” showed how the organizers sought to reconcile the divide between fashion and global social issues.
Described as a fair-trade fashion and trade show, the event combined a runway showcase with an opportunity for ethically-minded vendors to sell their clothing, accessories and home decor.
“People started really wanting to get involved because it’s so new conceptually,” said organizer Bonnie Kim, a graduate student in education. “There haven’t been nonprofit and fair-trade companies on the runway together, as far as I’ve known, ever before. It’s pretty innovative in that way.”
The nonprofit “Freedom and Fashion” was developed by Kim with an aim to educate the public of the issues of sex trafficking, modern-day slavery, human rights violations and child labor in both the United States and the rest of the world.
“Last year I went to Bangkok, Thailand, and I volunteered for a few months with an organization called NightLight who focus on the anti-human trafficking effort,” Kim said.
Inspired by NightLight’s dedication to the cause and prompted by seeing firsthand the way in which the organization helped sexually exploited women and children in Thailand, Kim decided to set up “Freedom and Fashion,” aiming to combine this issue with her own passion for art and fashion.
“There is not enough art out there that collaborates for good causes. I thought I’d take an art form like fashion, which uses a lot of slave labor, and then turn it around to make it a positive thing,” Kim said.
The runway event itself showcased an eclectic mix of designs. Six brands took part in the show, from the slogan T-shirts of LiNK, which aimed to highlight the human rights atrocities in North Korea, to Stewart+Brown, whose organic knitwear has been featured on the pages of Vogue.
The show also featured some more avant-garde approaches to fashion design. The hand-sewn garments of the eponymous “Freedom and Fashion” line utilized chains, leather, long black robes and graffiti-style motifs to provide visual representations of the struggles that men and women face around the world.
“With fashion, especially in L.A., people are really interested. With college students involved, there’s a massive movement behind events like these,” said Janice Yu, of Justice Now, one of the vendors at the event. Justice Now provides legal help for female prisoners in the U.S. as well as promotes alternatives to the prison structure for women within different communities.
Charity Marquis, director of the U.S. section of NightLight, said she agreed that fashion was the perfect way to teach others about the difficult cases of human rights violations around the world.
“The issues are so overwhelming and people can just shut down, but doing something like combining it with fashion is very tangible. Purchasing is something that’s a very easy way for people to get involved,” Marquis said.
The event also fused together music and fashion, featuring a performance by Mr. J. Medeiros, a hip-hop artist who has previously shared the stage with Run D.M.C., Mos Def and Common. He performed his song “Constance,” a true story about a 13-year-old Filipino girl sold into the child pornography business by her father.
“There’s some sort of social awareness there (in my music), I feel that’s my job as a rapper,” Medeiros said.
“Freedom and Fashion” has close links to UCLA: The event was partnered with Christian Students of Conscience and fraternity Alpha Gamma Omega. The event also ran with the help of several student volunteers, providing the sense that this was a project primarily geared toward gaining the attention of young people.
“I’m really encouraged by the youth, the passion and the fire they’re carrying for change in so many different areas. It’s so key to what the future is going to look like,” Marquis said.
Kim was keen to point out that anybody could get involved in creating events such as “Freedom and Fashion”.
“I’m merely a vessel. Anybody can do it if they really try and have a passion for it,” Kim said.