Seven Goshen College students walked down the Union Building’s “runway,” donned in secondhand clothes as part of a collaboration between Dash’s Clothing Cache and Ecopax on Tuesday. The Clothing Cache hoped to raise awareness for their mission of providing free clothing to students, while Ecopax sought to display thrifted clothing in a positive light. Three audience members attended the event.

Dash’s Clothing Cache has been collecting and distributing clothing to GC students since Feb. 2, filling a gap in campus that the College Mennonite Church’s clothing operation ensured before its closure. The Clothing Cache, which was originally planned as a way to provide students with access to interview-ready clothing, is now functionally an on-campus, free secondhand clothing store with a variety of clothes.

Sabrina Camargo, the student success program coordinator at the Academic Success Center, said that to her, these programs are directly linked to student success. “A student cannot be academically successful unless all of their other needs are met, or if they’re stressed about other things,” she said. Looking for a way to collaborate and raise more awareness for the Clothing Cache, which has only served around 25 students since its inception, Camargo reached out to Carmen Merino and Ecopax.

Prior to this year’s show, Ecopax has participated in fashion shows of past years, hoping to remove the stigmas behind wearing secondhand or thrifted clothing. Merino, a senior sustainability major and Ecopax leader, organized the show and walked the runway. “Clothing doesn’t go away when you don’t want it anymore … We figured this would be a great idea to advertise and elevate the now-existing Dash’s Clothing Cache … We stand behind that mission,” she said. 

In total, five first-years and two seniors walked the runway. Each model showed off two or three looks. The second and third outfits reused certain pieces in different contexts. “[The show] provided an opportunity for our models specifically, to get out there and show that they are proud of the decisions they make in wearing this clothing and choosing a more sustainable lifestyle,” Merino said.

Subject to change, Dash’s Clothing Cache’s hours of operation are on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Fridays from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Both Camargo and Merino see potential for future support. “Take what you need … if you have things in your closet that you don’t want anymore you’re more than welcome to bring those by and do a little swap to keep giving life to the clothes,” Camargo said. 

“I learned from the last fashion show that it’s something that people are more motivated to go to in the future. In this instance we didn’t have the engagement, for whatever reason, but I have all the confidence that as we continue to host sustainable fashion shows people will continue to engage more and more,” Merino said.