Wearing second-hand clothes has become an act of “rebellion” for young people concerned about climate change, say Star statistics.
Bay Garnett, who designed the outfit for Oxfam’s London Fashion Week show, says shopping at charity shops is a way to enjoy sustainable fashion.
The stylist, who has dressed stars including Kate Moss in charity shop fashions, also says the culture of wearing a new outfit just once for a social media post will be a thing of the past.
Garnett hand-picked around 80 pieces of clothing for the Oxfam show in February, saying it’s “very important” that second-hand clothes are included on the world fashion stage.
“It means that this is what people want to buy more now. So you can no longer have a collection that is only about new clothes because it has nothing to do with the weather, exactly the weather and also the weather that people want to buy and wear now,” she told the PA news agency.
When she envisioned the show in her head, Garnett, Oxfam’s independent fashion consultant, said she was thinking about “different genres, different ethnicities, different ideas of what people might like.”
Called Fashion Fight Poverty 23 and sponsored by eBay, the event appears to be modeled by about 40 “individuals” rather than a parade of catwalk models.
“There are a few models, but no, it’s personality. And I think that’s really important because second-hand clothes are for everybody,” Garnett said.
“It’s not about trying to create a world for one type of person. It is inclusive.”
Outfits feature a mix of second-hand designer items, vintage finds, and some of your pre-loved high street wear.
“Like, if you go to a big charity shop you’ll get a really good mix, and that’s what I tried to do for the show,” she said.
“I think charity shops really make you think more about the way you wear things, which is inspiring,” she added.
Talking about the growing popularity of second-hand clothes, Garnett says that it is driven by young people who care about the environment.
“For many young people it has become active rebellion,” she added, “and it has become an active choice.”
“It’s kind of a movement, and that’s really caught on in the last couple of years.
Garnett was asked if she was concerned that the quality of charity shops was becoming less and less good because of the popularity of fast fashion brands: “Actually I think it’s the opposite.”
“I have every hope that people will want to buy something better made, less of a true throwaway fashion.”
She questioned whether fast fashion should be allowed to continue: “I don’t think fast fashion is going to be fast. I think it will change.
She added: “I think it would be better – maybe a few items because if the culture of people holding on to their stuff for a long time stops or dies, the Instagram culture of ‘I’ve got this outfit’ and then laughing.” “
Garnett replaces the culture of taking a photo once in a dress with a sense of pride in wearing something you’ll never wear again.
“I think that’s going to be more in fashion,” she said.
Commenting on the experience of wearing a dress only once, she says, “It’s not very pretty. It’s not about knowing your own style, is it? I think the style will come.”
According to Garnett, by buying from charity shops, consumers are giving money to causes such as “helping the poorest people in the world”.
An appearance from the Oxfam Fashion Show will be auctioned off on eBay a week later.
All money raised will be donated to Oxfam and used to fight poverty around the world.
Lorna Fallon, the charity’s retail director, said: “Fighting Fashion is Oxfam’s celebration of modern, sustainable, second-hand fashion that is good for our pockets, our planet and all its people.
“Unlike other London Fashion Week shows, we don’t have a trendy or new collection to show.
“Instead, a look will be tailored for each person on the catwalk. This reflects the joy of finding unique, affordable clothing and the wide selection in our store where anyone can find something that works for them.
“What’s even more amazing is that our clothes have superpowers. Oxfam Fashion raises vital funds for poverty-fighting around the world, like in East Africa, where it is estimated that one person dies every 36 seconds from hunger due to climate change.
“Oxfam fashion is fun and glamorous, but at its heart it has a serious message and purpose. It’s activism-driven fashion that looks great, and it works well in the world.”
