If you follow along with us on social media, you may have seen that I was recently in the U.S., working on some projects related to ethical & sustainable fashion. Part of this involved modelling in the Fair Trade Fashion Show Fundraiser in Los Angeles, which was a truly special event to be a part of.

The evening was hosted by Bead & Reel (an ethical + vegan boutique), and it raised USD $31 000 to benefit Free The Slaves - an organisation that works to combat human trafficking. Slavery is (still, even these days) a $150 billion industry affecting an estimated 21 million people worldwide.

The fashion industry is a big part of this problem, and the Fair Trade Fashion Show sought to bring awareness to this, as well as to create a dialogue around ethical fashion in general.

The evening on July 31st included a runway show with 40 looks from 25 fair trade brands, as well as an ethical market place, vegan canapés + drinks, and a pre-show panel discussion hosted by Eco Sessions and moderated by Kestrel Jenkins of Conscious Chatter (a fantastic podcast that brings us stories around ethical fashion, and invites us to consider the story behind our clothing).

Spending the evening in company with so many likeminded people aspiring to make the world a kinder place was truly beautiful and inspiring - from the other models (many from a conscious agency I'm with - Lovelight Models) to the brands, the caterers, the event volunteer team, the Eco Sessions panelists, the audience and of course the incredible woman behind it all, Sica Schmitz, the owner and founder of Bead & Reel.

Runway Gallery

(See the looks from the show by clicking on the arrows on the image below.)
Images by Bryan Flores Jr.