Found in Oxfam: Fashion Fighting Poverty
For me, Oxfam is a shining example of a brand working to reinvigorate perceptions of second-hand fashion, beyond nan's knitted jumpers and beat up trainers to hand-picked, well-cared-for clothing from great labels that are still stylish and relevant for today. Oxfam also celebrates the power of vintage; showcasing fashion that not only makes the wearer stand out from the crowd but also carries a heritage and a story, beyond mass production.
The reason for this blog post is to catch you up on my work so far on the project I'm working on with Oxfam Scotland in collaboration with Creative Mornings Glasgow called 'Found in Oxfam' focussed on the idea that fashion can help fight poverty.
Byres Road Oxfam visual merchandising
First off, I was invited along to Glasgow's Byres Road store to create a festive window display focussing on contemporary styling and the denim trend. I styled two outfits for the mannequins (with each outfit costing a total of less than £25!) and curated a range of accessories and garments to fit the theme, including some gorgeous knitwear, shirts and jackets.
The display also featured some window art by Scottish illustrator Alice Dansey-Wright, who has also been collaborating on this project by drawing and painting on denim and leather jackets to give old clothing a new lease of life. Alice was part of this years' Scotland Re:Designed showcase, displaying her printed tees, bags and hats, as well as exclusive garments from her collab with knitwear designer Giannina Capitani.
Creative Mornings: Dying for Design
Another part of the project involved me giving a talk at last month's Creative Mornings event at the art school in Glasgow. Creative Mornings is a worldwide platform for networking meetings for entrepreneurs and creatives, each with a monthly theme.
My talk was called Dying for Design and focussed on the consequences of fast fashion, and the solutions or alternatives available. If you're interested in seeing the presentation and learning more, sign up to my mailing list here, and I will be sending it out with my next monthly newsletter!
Finally, we will be hosting an exclusive launch event alongside an exhibition of designs by fashion students at the Glasgow School of Art and looks selected from Oxfam by a range of local influencers, as well as art by contemporary Scottish illustrators to bring it all together. The date is still TBC, so be sure to follow Urbanity on Twitter to stay tuned for the announcement!