A woman in Peckham has found a sustainable way for people to get new clothes, where you can update your wardrobe for just ten pounds at one of her clothes-swapping events.
Jess Brunt, 30, who lives in Peckham, said she set up her clothes-swapping business, Verte, to make it cheap and sustainable for people to update their wardrobes.
“I was trying to solve a problem I had myself,” she said.
“Having grown up in the era of fast fashion, I am really conscious of the damage overconsumption and waste is having on the planet.”
She explained she was determined to find a way to ‘extend the lifespan’ of clothes. “I tried to donate them to charity shops, but they couldn’t take them because they were over-run.”
With the rise of apps like Depop and Vinted, there are lots of ways to buy affordable second-hand clothes online – but at Jess’ events, not only can people get new outfits, but they can get rid of their old items as well to free up space.
“This is a way for people to donate their old clothes to people who will use them,” she said.
Jess launched the business in 2019 and now, she runs events all over London for clothes swapping for all genders and even kids. This Saturday is a women’s event, taking place at Dovedales Bakery in Peckham.
How does it work?
Jess said you can either buy a ticket in advance for £10 or they are £15 on the day.
“You can bring up to ten items of your unwanted clothes on the day,” Jess explained.
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She said you then get tokens based on what you bring – which you then use to shop.
“We work on a token system based on item quality, brand and condition. So basically, the better pieces you bring, the better the items you’ll walk away with.”
The swap will run until 1 pm.
Jess added: “Any tokens not used will be carried over for the next swap.”
The event will take place at Dovedales Bakery, 24 Blenheim Grove, Peckham, SE15 4QL this Saturday, April 1, from 10 am – 1 pm.
