Do you know where your clothing comes  from and what type of environment it was made in? On April 24, Gustavus is holding its first Inside Out Day.  The purpose of this day is to have the student body wear their clothing inside out to promote fair trade.

Fair trade clothing is clothing that is made by  producers who are paid fair prices in developing countries. The Book Mark now carries a line of fair trade clothing called Alta Gracia Apparel.

Last year on April 24, the Bangladesh factory fire occurred which sparked this nationwide Inside Out Day. Sophomore and student organizer of Inside Out Day Hayley Nemmers describes the event as more than just a memory of the fire but an action to raise awareness.

“It is in memory of that [Bangladesh fire] but also in conjunction with that, it’s going to raise awareness about where our clothes come from,” Nemmers said.

Director of the Academic Support Center Margo Drushel brought this new event to the Gustavus campus. She recently went to the Fair Trade Regional Meeting in Wisconsin and learned about the Inside Out Event.

Druschel is a fair trade activist and sees Gustavus as a perfect campus to get involved in this campaign.

“When I started working at Gustavus, I saw how our Mission and groups like the Greens, the Kitchen Cabinet, the Big Hill Farm, composting, and the Book Mark were already doing a lot of Fair Trade and Local work. It only seemed natural that Gustavus would join the movement and become a Fair Trade College,” Druschel said.

The Bookmark has partaken in this fair trade campaign by stocking Alta Gracia Apparel which is strictly fair trade clothing. This clothing line came to Gustavus in December 2013, and is currently 25 percent off.

Manger at the Book Mark Molly Yunkers has wanted to start this line since 2011 and is excited to promote  it.

“Alta Gracia doesn’t have the brand recognition of Champion, Nike, or Under Armour. But, it is a wonderful product that I think definitely competes with other brands on comfort and fit.  The story behind the label makes it even easier to promote,” Yunkers said.

The goal of this event is not only to promote awareness of where  clothing is made, but also to create a group determined to make Gustavus a Fair Trade College.

“And this is actually in all of a larger effort to make Gustavus a fair trade campus,” Nemmers said.

This event also ties in with next year’s  Reading in Common book by Kelsey Timmerman, Where Am I Wearing. The purpose is to get the Gustavus campus thinking about where their clothing comes from and what conditions it was made it.

Contacts for the event include both Hayley Nemmers or Margo Druschel. The fair trade campaign is excited to see the campus come together, shirts on inside out, raise awareness about where their clothing comes from, and promote Gustavus to become a Fair Trade College.