Yesterday, Students for Economic and Social Justice (SESJ) at the University of Montana hosted a Sweatfree Fashion Show. The theme of the show was "sexy fashion with a social conscience," and was intented to raise awareness about the fact that much of UM's apparel--like several other Universities--is produced in sweatshops where workers do not have the right to use the bathroom or organize democratic unions. This event fits into SESJ's campaign to have UM affiliate with the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) and adopted their Designated Suppliers Program (DSP). The WRC monitors where our clothes come from and reports when violations have occured; the DSP ensures that all clothing comes from factories that are legit--paying a living wage and such (you know, those little, trivial things in life).
We had the clothes donated from local businesses and got some from No Sweat Apparel (if anyone is interested in contacting No Sweat, they provide some clothes for free for a show). Group members and their friends modeled on a runway in our student center, while a DJ spun beats and a MC kept the crowd involved. You can check out this glamourous yet righteous event at the face book account of Kendra Kallevig at the University of Montana. It was sweet, and well attended--100 + people the week before finals: How often do you get to be stylish in the name of social justice?