What started as a passing idea in a fashion tutorial, became the successful clothes-exchange called The Swap. And you know you’re onto a winning idea when the likes of local designer Shilo Engelbrecht shows up to see what’s on offer.
The premise is simple: bring in up to eight of your pre-loved clothes that you no longer want or need, receive a button for each item and swap that button for another item donated by other fashionistas.
QUT fashion students, Siobhan Moloney and Rachel Walker, came up with the idea when reflecting on the fashion practices of the 1940s and 50s.
“We wanted to be more active with the movement of fashion; make it a process where it passes on and on,” Walker says.
The Swap sets itself apart from the somewhat ordinary choice in op shops, because most of the garment donations come from the stylish and innovative wardrobes of young fashion students. Among the labels at this year’s swap included Bettina Liano and DKNY.
While they admit the vintage trend is currently peaking, this doesn’t mean it can’t keep working.
“It’s about making it work for you, forever,” Moloney says.
Moloney and Walker hope The Swap will be the first of many, allowing clothes to continue on beyond their era, recycling and re-imagining them in new ways and appreciating fashion in a whole new way.