On Thursday, October 17th,  Soroptimists from seven different Southern California clubs were on hand at an event to raise awareness of labor trafficking. Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice’ anti-human trafficking college club, Live2Free, held its annual Fair Trade Fashion Show. This year’s theme, Fashion with a Passion, reminded consumers to slow the demand behind modern day slavery.

Our club members ‘womaned’ the registration effort for vendors, models and volunteers. We also provided assistance by helping the models get ready for the runway, as well as managed the STAT II Tabling effort.

Live2Free partnered with Soroptimists, Goodwill of Orange County and the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, to ensure their impact reached beyond their campus.

The event’s purpose is to encourage consumers to consider the true cost of their consumption and buy Fair Trade or shop ethically with secondhand clothing. This effort is particularly important as the fashion and textile industry is one of the leading industries involved in labor trafficking. When consumers purchase clothes from fashion companies that benefit from labor trafficking, it helps the companies grow at the cost of exploiting workers and polluting the environment with fast fashion.

The show featured vendors from the community who represent artisans and products made by individuals with dignity. The Fashion Show featured college models dressed by fair trade vendors and Goodwill thrift stores of Orange County. Students, and even some teachers, walked the red carpet runway … showcasing that ethical shopping can be fun, accessible and fashionable.