Survivor-founded fashion exhibition “The Untold Collection” names Aurora House as 2026 event beneficiary

Toronto, ON — February 23, 2026 — The Untold Collection: Where Fashion Meets Survivor Power will take place on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at El Mocambo, with organizers announcing that Aurora House, a Toronto-based transitional housing program supporting survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence, has been named the event’s official beneficiary as the program marks its 10-year anniversary.

Hosted by Cassandra Harvey, a survivor, advocate, and former resident of Aurora House, The Untold Collection is presented under the umbrella of the internationally recognized What Were You Wearing? exhibit, a powerful, survivor-centred art and educational installation created in 2013 by Jen Brockman and Dr. Mary Wyandt-Hiebert at the University of Arkansas.

Through curated outfits, storytelling, and immersive design, the exhibit dismantles the harmful and persistent myth that clothing contributes to sexual violence. Instead, it honours survivor experiences while educating the public on the realities of sexual violence and human trafficking.

This event is deeply personal,” said Harvey. “Aurora House gave me safety when I needed it most. Hosting The Untold Collection as part of this exhibit, and naming Aurora House as the beneficiary, is about coming full circle and helping ensure other women have access to that same chance to heal, rebuild, and move forward.”

This year, The Untold Collection expands the exhibit into a large-scale, high-impact awareness event that blends art, fashion, and community engagement, inviting guests into a space designed not only for observation, but for reflection and participation in meaningful social change.

The evening’s theme, Art Gallery Couture, will transform El Mocambo into a living gallery, where fashion becomes both expression and advocacy. Attendees are invited to arrive in bold, editorial-inspired looks, contributing to an immersive environment that centres truth, power, and survivor voices.

All proceeds from the event will directly support Aurora House under MNLC, a charitable organization, helping sustain its work providing safe second-stage housing and

wraparound supports for women and children rebuilding their lives after trafficking and gender-based violence.

“The goal is to create a space where people do more than witness,” Harvey added. “They reflect, they engage, and they become part of a movement for change.”