Gallant Suits Launch Party

During L.A. Fashion Week, Freedom and Fashion recently collaborated with Gallant Suits and Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST) to abolish slavery and trafficking at a launch party at Edgar Varela Fine Arts Gallery in downtown L.A.

[Edgar Varela Fine Arts Gallery]

The purpose of Gallant Suits launch was to bring awareness to the new custom tailored suit line that is committed to taking a stand against sex trafficking . Founder Andrew Park began Gallant Suits with his vision to speak a resurgence of what if means to be a man of both style and character.  The structure and message of Gallant Suits aims to encourage the practice of philanthropy and social advocacy through art, fashion and culture. It is the only custom suit company committed to the fight against sex trafficking.

·      All suits are made of 100% Italian wool with super-110 and super-120 thread quality.

·      Colors are available in Navy Blue, Charcoal Grey, Black and Light Grey.

·      Suits will be sold at an exclusive price for the event (30% discount)

      100% of net proceeds from the suits sold at the event will go to CAST to support the rescue and shelter of formerly trafficked women in LA. 

[Gallant Suit Model]

I was amazed to find myself at an L.A. fashion week event that supported such a great cause. Sometimes I get so caught up in my own world of fashion that I forget there are people in our country and around the world who are suffering to produce the clothes that many of us wear as well as suffering in other ways. It’s the sad truth but around 12 million men, women and children are brought into our country through trafficking either as slaver laborers or sexual workers. Once in the country they are forced to work under unsafe working conditions for little or no pay.

[Founder of Gallant Suits Andrew M. Park]

[Founder of Freedom and Fashion, Bonnie Kim] 

[Kay Buck, Andrew Park, and Bonnie Kim] 

Trafficking is a lucrative industry and is becoming the fastest growing criminal enterprise. Sex slaves are the single most profitable type of human trafficking. The global annual profit is estimated to be around $30 billion. Human Trafficking has become a dynamic phenomenon affecting the global economy.

[The Fashion Team] 

Human Trafficking consists of coercion, deception and bondage. Victims of trafficking are forced to work and provide various services under dire circumstances. The services range from bonded or forced labor to commercialized sexual exploitation.  The most sought after targets are vulnerable and powerless victims from many ethnic and social groups, such as the homeless, runaway teens, refuges, job seekers, drug addicts, tourist, and kidnapped victims. They also lure young women form Eastern block countries with promises of work.

Fashion  sometimes can be such an aggressive industry, that we can lose touch with reality and the humaneness of the people wearing or producing the clothes. The fact is that not everyone in the world is infatuated with designer labels and being dubbed out from head to toe wearing Tom Ford sunglasses, Alexander Wang jackets, Michael Kors watches and leather Marc Jacob pants. Don’t get me wrong, I love my designer labels, but I am a firm believer in human equality and equal rights. 

[Me and Andrew Park]

There is no reason for anybody to be in a situation where they are exploited for their labor or bodies. I am 100 percent against all forms of human trafficking and believe organizations like Freedom and Fashion, CAST and Gallant Suits are essential to combating this growing problem.  

[Gallant Suits x Cast x Freedom and Fashion]