ROCK ME AGAIN
Although Anna Della Russo, the Italian-born editor-at-large and creative consultant for Vogue Japan, may balk at the idea of recycling fashion - she is known to strongly advise only wearing an outfit once - the trend to rewear, reconstitute and reimagine used clothing is gaining huge ground in South Africa. ADR, as she is known in fashion circles, has two separate apartments in her home town of Milan - one just for her clothes, which are kept in a climate-controlled chamber.
For the less excessive and more sustainable-minded among us, pop-up swop shops are, well, popping up all over. The Skip Fashion Exchange is one such auspicious project. The first event took place last month at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg. MC for the event Noni Gasa called guests ''collaborative shoppers" - those who share resources and benefit the environment.
Clothing brought for swopping was graded as sought-after branded goods, high-fashion items, good-condition , timeless classics or those valuable to others and the Remedy Crew was on hand to nip, tuck and resize.
The next Skip Fashion Exchanges (011 3006 700) will be on October 6 in Johannesburg and October 20 in Pretoria. Tickets cost R120 plus three or more items of nearly-new, high-fashion clothes, bags, shoes or hats to swop.
- Now in its fifth year, Rock Me Again is an annual recycled fashion and design initiative established by Capsule Projects.
According to their website: ''The initiative was started to harness the creative energy of established and new talent in design and photography." A spin-off is promoting responsible fashion consumption and helping to give environmentally friendly design a fashion-forward image.
This year's challenge to creatives was to design great-looking recycling bins to be stationed in Vida e Caffé shops in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Customers were urged to deposit old garments in these bins. The clothes collected have been transformed into contemporary one-of-a-kind fashion items by a select group of fashion designers.
Recycled pieces have been modelled and photographed, and will be exhibited tonight at Vida e Caffé in Hyde Park, Johannesburg from 6pm.
- Then, at Rocking the Daisies this weekend, festival-goers can leave with new duds without spending a cent. How? By swopping at Capitec's SwapShop at The Green Village, Kloof Wine Estate in Darling. Swoppers can even get their gear upcycled by one of three designers who will turn old stuff into new - free.
All swoppers are welcome. No cash or dirty, torn or broken swops are allowed. (rockingthedaisies.com)
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