Southwest Airlines and the Jacksonville-based nonprofit Rethreaded came together last month to celebrate the airlines’ latest initiative, “Repurpose with Purpose.”
Southwest Airlines donated leather from seat covers so Rethreaded could create a line of leather jewelry and accessories, known as the Luv Seat collection, that is currently sold at the Rethreaded retail store, located at Barnett Street in Jacksonville, and online at rethreaded.com.
With the upcycled Southwest leather from seat covers, Rethreaded employees, who are survivors of sex trafficking, work on product development, design, marketing the accessories and tracking sales in finance.
The mission of Rethreaded is to break the cycle of the sex trade by offering viable and creative work to those affected by the sex trade (i.e. prostitution, drug addiction and human trafficking).