Unchained OSU hosts fashion show in order to raise awareness about human trafficking. Credit: Courtesy of Jenny Luu
Unchained OSU, a student organization, will use fashion and narratives to help reach its goals of spreading awareness and fundraising for human trafficking survivors with its fashion show March 5.
Hannah Mayle, a fourth-year in marketing and co-president of Unchained OSU, said this year’s fashion show theme is earth, fire and water. Each section within the show has its own pieces designed by Anjali Phougat, Destiny Howard and Amrita + Kalpana Chehil.
“They really designed their collection to kind of tell the story that we have through our narration of the fashion show,” Mayle said.
Shiva Induri, a fourth-year in biology and co-president of Unchained OSU, said the money raised from the fashion show will go towards a scholarship from She Has a Name, a Columbus nonprofit that helps human trafficking survivors with their higher education by providing for the “Strategies for Success Fund.”
“Last year, I believe we made over $2,000 to donate to She Has a Name,” Mayle said. “So, our goal is to get even more than that. That would be just absolutely phenomenal.”
Its 2022 show had 150 attendees, but the organization expects to have around 300 people this year, Mayle said.
Induri said an oral narration will accompany the three parts of the fashion show and tell the story of someone who overcame human trafficking.
“This narration is from the perspective of an overcomer of any type of abuse, so it kind of talks about their inner thoughts and feelings,” Induri said. “So, we’re hoping that people can understand what they’re going through to some sort of degree.”
Each section represents the story of a human trafficking survivor through the stages of earth, wind and fire, representative of innocence, violence and restoration, Induri said.
“Someone did write it who is an overcomer, but they reached out to a lot of different survivors and overcomers and human trafficking,” Induri said. “So, it’s kind of like a collection of like, different experiences and different stories”
Mayle said events by Unchained OSU, like the fashion show, have a direct impact in Columbus.
“I really see the impact that we can have on the community and you know, learning so much and meeting all these people who have really been impacted by trafficking and being able to help them even in just like really small ways,” Mayle said. “It feels really rewarding,and it feels really good to know that we’re helping these people.”
The fashion show is being held at the Great Hall Meeting Room in the Ohio Union March 5 at 7 p.m. To attend the event, it is a $10 suggested donation for Ohio State students and $15 for non-students.
Students can purchase tickets through eventbrite.
