Students from Ohio University’s Global Feminisms course and the Women’s Center will be hosting a clothing swap Friday to raise more awareness of the issues associated with fast fashion.
“This event is part of our final project for our class in Global Feminisms,” said Lenny Massiel Cauich Maldonado, a Ph.D. student in the Mass Communication graduate program. "This project, (Professor Risa Whitson) let us choose if it was only going to be research or a scholarly research, campaign research or some creative project. One of my classmates brought (up) this topic of fast fashion and I’ve had this plan of having a clothing swap since forever.”
Cauich Maldonado was inspired to organize the clothing swap after participating in several in Mexico where she grew up. She also said that hosting this event is influenced by those from her home country who work in unjust conditions for fast fashion corporations.
The goals of the event are also noteworthy, as Cauich Maldonado said that fast fashion is becoming a major problem in our current world – one that the global north has continued to ignore.
“Our goal is to raise awareness about the effects of fast fashion on human rights, especially women's rights, and on the environment,” Cauich Maldonado said. "Fast fashion is using materials from the global south, and also human resources from the global south, and it's not ethical. It’s not following any ethical protocols in the global south especially.”
Cauich Maldonado’s professor, Risa Whitson, is excited to see the event come to life for students and those who live in Athens. Typically, Whitson’s does not require any intervention or community service for final projects, but Cauich Maldonado’s group decided to put a new spin on its parameters.
“This is the first time that I've taught this class of students (who) have decided to actually hold an event,” Whitson said. “I think it's ambitious and exciting, and that it fits very well with the theme of the class because we're looking at activism and so they're not only studying the activism, but they're engaging in it as well.”
Cauich Maldonado’s group encourages people to bring lightly used clothing and accessories to trade with others. Swap rules include five items maximum, quality items only, no “faulty or stained” items, one swap token for every item brought and bringing a personal shopping bag.
OU students also are talking about the event, excited to see what it entails this Friday.
“I think it's a very cool idea,” Kristen Meyer, a junior studying commercial photography, said. “I know a lot of big designer brands just release clothing and don't really think about the consequences after it, so recycling the clothing is a really good way to help the environment especially.”
The event will be held from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in Baker 403 and entry is free.
“Everybody is going to become an activist just by coming to our event,” Cauich Maldonado said.
