That's a wrap, Manchester done!

The first ever non transactional fashion pop up at Selfridges as part of their Worn Again campaign was hosted in their Manchester Trafford Centre and Manchester Exchange stores and wow it was so much fun. Thank you to all the incredible swappers who attended The Swap Shop by LOANHOOD.

"We've swapped, shared stories about our clothes and spread the word of the circular economy. It is a new concept to a lot of people but once you explain how it works they always say "that makes perfect sense, I have so much in my wardrobe that I'm not wearing"!! Said Cofounder Lucy Hall.

For the first time, Selfridges’ customers were able to bring in their preowned pieces to exchange for stamps to ‘shop’ a curation of secondhand pieces to take home, without any purchase required. We swapped items from Burberry, House of Sunny, Ganni, Givenchy, North Face, Jaquemus and more. The talented upcyclers were hard at work, offering screen printing, repairs, and embellishments to transform customers' pieces into unique creations.

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UPCYCLERS IN RESIDENCE

Interested in the art of craft and community, Chloe Baines consistently works with pre-loved items, recycled materials. Striving to implement positive change through experimental use of recycled materials Chloe has been involved in various community projects that include creative/craft workshops, guest lecturing and mentoring. And just like everyone else she loves a swap shop too and swapped out an incredible Adidas jacket and Self Portrait skirt for a vintage Givenchy jacket!

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One heartwarming story emerged when a couple passed by and the girlfriend fell in love with a jacket. The boyfriend returned the next day, trading in his own clothes to surprise her with the coveted item. Such stories exemplify the magic of sustainable fashion and the joy of sharing and rediscovering pre-loved treasures.

The UK’s per capita consumption of clothing is higher than any other nation in Europe, we need to circulate what is hanging in our wardrobes and find new to us items before reaching for the credit card to buy new. In fact, it is said there are enough clothes on the planet now to clothes the next SIX generations!!

WHATS NEXT?

Join us for the upcoming Swap Shop in Birmingham from June 22-25, followed by the grand finale in London from July 10-30 Including Thursday Night Lates where you can expect complimentary cocktails from Whitebox Cocktails, ice cream from Little Moons and live music alongside the swap shop!

Let's continue circulating our clothes, making a positive impact on the environment, and shaping our own sustainable fashion future!

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