S.W.A.P. - Take Off Your Clothes
12,172 pieces of clothing exchanged and counting!
The S.W.A.P. Team is a non-profit social enterprise founded by Aleece Germano and Nicole Picard. Through its clothing swap event Take Off Your Clothes, the group endeavours to promote sharing as an antidote to overconsumption while increasing awareness of conscious consumerism and providing clothing for those in need.
Aleece Germano, President and Founder
Aleece held her first clothing swap in her home in 2005. Two years later, after searching for an innovative way to bring people together to conserve, share and have fun, Take Off Your Clothes was born! A cheeky mix of music, fashion and community, the first event was such a success that it became a yearly addition to Montreal’s Piknic Electronik.
Nicole Picard, Advisor and Co-Founder
Nicole met Aleece while launching her spring 2007 collection for her label, Fairyesque. After working together at Montreal Fashion Week, the two quickly realized their shared passion for fashion, conservation and public service. Fairyesque became the first fashion house to sponsor Take Off Your Clothes, and donated hundreds of new items to the event – hidden on the racks for swappers to discover!
Danielle Robichaud, Education and Environmental Awareness
A member of the founding volunteer team and advisor to The S.W.A.P. Team on all things green, Danielle writes children’s books and devotes herself to the causes she holds dear, like preserving our planet. You’ll find her at Montreal’s edition of Take Off Your Clothes dancing in the racks and hugging the volunteers.
Simon Law, Resident Geek
Our master of tech doesn’t code without style. And we’re not talking about style sheets – we mean bow ties! Whether it’s dress-up day or Groundhog Day, Simon uses his flair to keep our web site well groomed and our team focused on the future.
Jennifer Hood, Ottawa Chapter Director
Jen is a modern-day Renaissance woman. When she’s not planning Ottawa’s Take Off Your Clothes, she’s organizing purple parties, designing web sites, dancing in the desert or swimming under the stars. To find her at our next Ottawa event, just look for the tall girl with the killer smile.
Marilyn Champagne, Ottawa Lead Volunteer
A big fan of environmentally friendly fashion, Marilyn has been a volunteer at Take Off Your Clothes since the very beginning. When she’s taking a break from her Psychiatry residency at the University of Ottawa, you’ll find Marilyn swapping books, CDs and DVDs with her year-round group Garde-robe collectif.
Sarah Martin, Boston Chapter Director
Sarah is our team lead in Boston — the first U.S. chapter of The S.W.A.P. Team! As a member of the Common Security Club network, Sarah has been meeting with others in her community to discuss and to practice alternative economies. As a result, she’s become a huge fan of living simply and sharing the wealth by supporting local businesses, hosting potlucks, swapping and skill-sharing. Sarah finds being a part of The S.W.A.P. Team a most excellent next step in her evolution! If you’re in the area and would like to help out, please send her an email: sarah@theswapteam.org.
Necole Hines, Calgary Chapter Director
An active blogger, Necole writes about her love for fashion and all things creative. When she interviewed The S.W.A.P. Team for her blog in the fall of 2009, she became hooked on the concept of “eco-friendly swap shopping.” Necole plans to share her love of community, fashion and music by heading up Calgary’s first ever Take Off Your Clothes event in spring 2010. Get ready Calgary, this is going to knock your socks off (and then some)! Want to help out? Email Necole at: necole@theswapteam.org.
