Thursday’s clothes swap was such a blast! I was honestly blown away by the spirit of the event, everyone came ready with their swaps and smiles. It was brilliant to see the quality of the clothes brought, and that many of you wanted to enjoy the whole of the Haulternative Closet event – in total, we had over 60 swappers, and even more pieces of clothing swapped. If you came, or supported in any way – thank you so much.
How our Clothes Swap went…
As planned, the Haulternative Closet was our first seasonal swap, taking place in October for AW19. On the racks, we had prepared beautiful pieces ready to walk out and wear – think coats, scarves, woollen skirts and cosy jumpers – and we were delighted to see many of you brought similar items to swap too!
Doors opened at 5pm in the beautiful 42 Acres Shoreditch, where our rails were lined up ready for the swap, alongside stalls from Beanbroidery, Boodi Jewellery, Every Origin, Medocup, Random Leon, and a non-alcoholic cocktail bar by Senser Spirits. The swapping got underway quickly, and was interspersed with a free embroidery workshop, and a free talk on herbal teas and remedies for winter skin, led by Herb Clinic London.
We were so happy to see everyone arrive with their items, which we exchanged for tokens (between 1 and 5 tokens per item, which could be then spent on the items on the rails – high street was usually 1 token, luxury 5 tokens) meaning everyone could explore every rail, and spend their tokens on the pieces they truly wished to wear.
Once the event closed, we were left with a range of pieces that we’ll now take forward into our next event, as well as hold back the more wintry pieces for next year’s AW event. This way, there will always be appropriate items to swap with, and we can give you the opportunity to try new styles that you can wear immediately for the next few months!
Thank you for the incredible feedback
While it’s only been three days since the swap, the feedback I’ve received so far has been so amazing to hear. I’ve had two people say they found their perfect pair of jeans (a thrift shopping feat!), I’ve been tagged in multiple #oootd posts showcasing the swaps people found, and I even had a DM from one person who wanted to express her gratitude in seeing other people enjoy the clothes she’d brought along.
I’ve loved shopping for second-hand fashion for a long time now, but I have been so overwhelmed by the positivity and joy that has been shared over the event, and the new pieces everyone has taken home with them. It really makes all the hard work so worth it!
Keep up with Our Event Partners
Alongside all of our hard work (myself, and my beautiful co-founders, Ella, Megha, and Rosie), we couldn’t have put this event on without our brilliant event partners. Make sure to check them all out, and keep up with their sustainable work too!
42 Acres – Sustainable event space and retreats in Shoreditch and Somerset, who kindly provided their space for our swap.
Beanbroidery – Embroidery applied to pre-loved clothing, and the duo behind our free embroidery workshop.
Boodi Jewellery – Eco vegan jewellery made from recycled materials, we were delighted to have Boodi display alongside our swap.
DePloy London – Sustainable style for smart women, Deploy kindly provided a number of items for the swap .
Eco Furniture Hire – Family-run furniture hire business who provided the tables for our stalls, bar, and workshop room.
Every Origin – Handmade and eco-friendly gifts which made for a lovely stall to visit during our swap.
Global Fashion Exchange – Network providing publicity for clothes swaps, who kindly supported us in getting our name out there!
Herb Clinic London – Marie & Sophie, who shared their wisdom with us in their tea and skincare workshop.
Mayamiko – Sustainable fashion brand focusing on female empowerment, who provided a brilliant selection of pieces for our swap.
Medocup – Stainless steel pint cup brand who displayed at our event and provided swappers with a more sustainable way to drink!
Pebble Magazine – My favourite digital sustainable magazine, who shone a spotlight on our event (and likewise, make sure you head to their Conscious Christmas market later this year!)
Random Leon – Whimsical upcycled fashion brand (who travelled all the way from Paris to show their collection at our event!)
Senser Spirits – High end non-alcoholic spirits brand, who put on a bar for us with a range of classy botanically-active cocktails!
And of course… Keep up with the Haulternative Closet too! Follow us on Instagram to hear about our next event, destined for SS20. Until then – we hope you enjoy your swaps, and please do tag us when you wear them!
