The idea for a clothes swap came about “because one of the girls in the group is passionate about fashion-fast fashion and stopping it. The shop is a collaboration…lots of groups have come together to make it a thing,” says Emily Walker-Smith, a Camden Friends of the Earth coordinator.
Attendees scanned the many racks of second-hand clothing arranged in the centre of the space, learnt to knit from volunteers, and discussed relevant issues. They also perused handmade posters laden with facts about clothing production and the environment.
Swapping clothes–instead of just throwing them out when we get tired of them–can help to combat the excessive amount of waste that plagues the fashion industry. The average consumer throws out about 32 kilos of clothing and footwear per year, and it’s evident that in a world of Zaras and Primarks, disposability is the new normal.
Angela, a volunteer with Helen Bamber Foundation and Little Hands Design says pop-up shops “bring something curated, something different. You’re not wearing the same thing as everybody else, you can customise it and just make it you.”
To this end, Little Hands Design and volunteers from the Helen Bamber Foundation made alterations for those with clothes in need of sprucing-up. Meanwhile, volunteers with Transition Kentish Town rescued worn-out socks from the bin by daring them to keep them functional longer.
“This is about mending instead of throwing away,” says Transition Kentish Town volunteer Rita. “The socks for instance, they contain plastic–it’s like a mixed fibre, so if you put it into the landfill now, the microfibres and plastics will still be there for a long time.”
Thankfully, charity shopping and clothes swapping are becoming increasingly popular.
“When my children were young, nobody swapped… such waste! It’s great to see it’s becoming more acceptable,” quipped Christine, an attendee, as she surveyed the racks.
Emily agrees. “We’re trying to get as many people as we can swapping, and making swapping cool! And looking at the people who are here today, I think it definitely is cool,” she says.