How to: Host a Clothes Swap

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HOW TO: HOST A CLOTHES SWAP

THE GREAT FASHION REVOLUTION CLOTHES SWAP fashionrevolution.org/clothes-swap

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We are Fashion Revolution.

We are designers, academics, writers, business leaders, policymakers, brands, retailers, marketers, producers, makers, workers, trade unions and fashion lovers. We are the industry and we are the public.

We are world citizens.

We are you.

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mobilisation: social mobilisation seeks to facilitate change by encouraging and enabling a significant number of people to engage in interrelated and complementary efforts.

1

advocacy: advocacy in all its forms seeks to ensure that people, particularly those who are most vulnerable in society, are able to: 2

1. Have their voice heard on issues that are important to them.

2. Defend and safeguard their rights.

3. Have their views and wishes genuinely considered when decisions are being made about their lives.

systemic: relating to an entire system, as opposed to a particular part.

3

We campaign for a clean, safe, fair, transparent and accountable fashion industry.

We do this through research, education, collaboration, mobilisation1 and advocacy2.

The issues in the fashion industry never fall on any single person, brand, or company. That’s why we focus on using our voices to transform the entire system.

With systemic3 and structural change, the fashion industry can lift millions of people out of poverty and provide them with decent and dignified livelihoods.

It can conserve and restore our living planet. It can bring people together and be a great source of joy, creativity and expression for individuals and communities.

We believe in a global fashion industry that conserves and restores the environment and values people over growth and profit.

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Through The Great Fashion Revolution Clothes Swap we are aiming to swap attitudes, behaviours, knowledge and skills as well as clothes.

THE GREAT FASHION REVOLUTION CLOTHES SWAP 20th-26th April 2020 fashionrevolution.org/clothes-swap

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We want swappers to educate each other about how our clothes are produced and ask questions about who made them, what are they made from and under what conditions were they made. We also want to celebrate and encourage extending the useful life of garments as a revolutionary act.

Swapping an item of clothing might not seem like a radical act, we’ve been doing it for thousands of years in various forms, from bartering to handme downs, but in a world where consumption is accelerating well beyond our planetary limits, to extend the use of our clothes is a powerful act.

Some people might be seasoned thrifters, swappers and second-hand shoppers but others may be trying second-hand, pre-loved or exchanging clothes for the first time. This toolkit is designed to support you to make your swap a place for curiosity, investigation and encouragement. One that communicates to the fashion industry that we want our clothes to last.

I swapped my clothes H E S S WA P T H E G R E AT FAS H I O N R E VO LU T I O N C LOT - S WA P FAS H I O N R E VO LU T I O N .O R G /C LOT H E S

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click tlo trave

Contents

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I swapped my clothes mindset T H E G R E AT FA S H I O N R E VO LU T I O N C LOT H E S S WA P FA S H I O N R E VO LU T I O N .O R G /C LOT H E S - S WA P @fash_rev

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Setting swap goals Before you start planning your swap, think about the key things you want to achieve or measure. We’ve tailored this pack around the Fashion Revolution Week 2020 themes, which could inspire your planning:

Consumption Composition Conditions Collective Action More on this in the next section...

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Here’s some ideas of what to measure: • Number of people attending your swap • Number of items swapped • Weight of items swapped (as per GFX guidelines) • Have your attendees learned something they didn’t already know about their clothes?

• Has the act of swapping started to change mindsets and habits?

• Have you started a conversation about attitudes to second-hand clothes and pre-loved fashion?

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CONSUMPTION

COMPOSITION

Repair & Care, Capsule, Upcycled, Multi-Purpose

Fibres, Environment, Life Cycles, Microfibres

CONDITIONS

COLLECTIVE ACTION

Locations, Garment workers, Makers, Journey Value

Solidarity, Glocal Action, Change Makers, Connection

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Curating & communicating By arranging your swap in a way that organises clothes not by colour, shape or size but rather by fibre content, location of manufacture or a personal story, attendees can be presented with a visual representation of impactful information, raising awareness and presenting new ways of thinking about clothing.

We’ve designed resources to help you curate and communicate during your swap. You can mix and match resources from each of the themes, or pick one and dig in deep.

If you haven’t already, download a hosting pack to get started.

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Image: Swop Clothing Exchange

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Consumption curating tips •

Only accept clean clothes in a good condition.

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Set a limit on the number of garments one person can bring

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Encourage people only to take things that they really love

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Encourage people to share the stories of their clothes

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Include mending and upcycling facilitation at your swap

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Display in capsule style collections

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Invite a stylist to facilitate and support people to only take things that really work for them

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Composition curating tips •

Arrange the clothes in fibre groups (instead of by size or colour)

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Facilitate a discussion about different materials and their impacts

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Share information about how to care for different materials

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Invite specialists to talk or present information about how materials are produced or how fabrics are made

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Create an exhibit that highlights local or regional fibres (good and bad, modern day and historic)

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Conditions curating tips •

Arrange the clothes by ‘made in’ labels to investigate where clothes were produced.

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Set up an area for people to take a selfie and ask brands they are swapping #WhoMadeMyClothes

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Invite garment workers and people who work in the supply chain to your swap!

They wear clothes too!

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Facilitate a conversation or panel discussion about the people who make our clothes.

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Screen A film that spotlights working conditions in the global fashion supply chain

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Use the Fashion Transparency Index 2020 as a lense for your event

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Collective action curating tips •

Partner with other local organisations, civic services or community groups to co host your swap

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Make sustainable fashion accessible to all, regardless of income levels through your swap.

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Think carefully about who is organising, participating and attending your swaps.

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Organise a ‘clothes lending library’ with a rail and some hangers at work or in a community space

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Link up with your country coordinator to connect with swappers around your country and share stories.

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Image: Global Fashion Exchange

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Where to host your swap In its simplest form a clothing swap is an exchange of one piece of clothing for another. So it can happen in any place, at any time between any number of people! You can swap anywhere, from hosting a swishing party in your home, to organising a large scale public event.

Swaps tend to be casual and social and go well with Music, drinks and even buffet style food and to nourish the swappers and add to the occasion.

NOTE: if you are hosting in a public space, you must get permission from the person responsible for the space before organising. @fash_rev

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Fashion Revolutionaries around the world have hosted their swaps at:

School

University

Work place

es

Lo c a l c o m m unity or civic ven ue

Clubs

m o h n w O

Housing es ta

Apartment building

Religious buildings

Retail venues Film sets

te

ite Camps

Political assemblies

s

Cafes

Train station s

and even at the base camp of Mount Everes fashionrevolution.org/clothes-swap

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t!

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Essentials Here are a list of items we think are essential for a successful swap. That’s not to say a swap is impossible without these things but, they certianly help!

Mirror(s) Clothes hangers Garment rails or a place to hang clothes Tables, surfaces, shelves (for folded items) Seating String, tape, scissors, safety pins Private changing area Toilets (appropriate to event size) Good natural or electronic lighting Signage, posters, other printed information (see resources section)

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Extras These are some extras that we think can help to elevant your swap to the next level. Add your own to the list too, if you’ve got some ideas.

Mending kits A steamer or an iron Music or other audio Mannequins Wardrobes or other display furniture Area for refreshments Workshop area PA system for speakers #WMMC Selfie Station Projector and screen for digital media or film screenings Somwhere to keep damaged items that can be used for upcycling

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Before you start Register your swap We will be measuring the total number of clothes swaps and the number of people swapping during Fashion Revolution Week 2020. To do this we are asking people to register events using our online form which can be found here.

Advertise your event Upload the details onto the Fashion Revolution events map here.

Search for others We also advise that you search the map for others near you who may also be hosting swaps and contact your country team, if you have one, to let them know about your event.

Shout about it Encourage swappers to share their new finds on social media by using the hashtags #clothesswap and #fashionrevolution.

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Step #1 Drop off & promote Clothes swaps work best if you set a maximum number of items for people to bring and you have them dropped off in advance to sort and ensure the quality of the items (check them while the person is still there and give them back anything that’s not accepted).

Tell people: How many items to bring Make sure they are freshly laundered Where / when to drop them off.

Invite swappers to give information about the items they are giving using swing tags (templates can be found in the resources list) for them to complete at drop off.

PROMOTE YOUR EVENT! Add it to the event map on our website and use posters and flyers to spread the word.

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Tickets, tokens and payment Depending on your budget, the lim itations of your venue and the scale of your swap you may want to ticket your event or at least have a free registration ticket so you ca n predict how many people might come.

If your budget and venue allow yo u could have a completely free swap whe re swappers can drop in but many of the larger swaps around the world have ticketing of some sort.

Tickets and registration can also help the event to run smoothly so it’s a go od idea to look at the options and see what systems work well where you are. Keep th e ticket prices accessible to your target au dience and be sure to let your guests know w here their ticket money goes.

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Step #2 Set up Organise a team who can sort the items and setup the swap room or space and make sure you give yourself enough time to do this so you will be ready in time!

Arrange up front with helpers exactly what’s expected, for example you might ask them to also help with take down. You can offer them first access to the swap in exchange for their support.

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People power Depending on the size of your event you will need a different number of people but here’s an idea of the tasks that will need to be allocated: Production manager/host/the person who is in charge and has oversight on the whole event. This person works on set up and take down Meet and greeter(s). These people check garments, explain themes and schedule to attendeees, collect money and gives tokens (if applicable). They will also work on set up and take down Merchandiser(s). This person displays garments and keeps rails tidy and also helps people find things.

Special guest(s). These people deliver workshops, facilitate talks or contirbute to other special presentations

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Image: Global Fashion Exchange

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Step #3 Swap!

Make the event welcoming and easy to understand perhaps adding music and refreshments.

Point out other activities like writing a story about the items people have brought, an explanation of how the space is organised and where they can take a selfie.

If you have additional content prepared make sure people know where to see the schedule.

Dont forget to: Document the event with photos and videos Keep track of the impact of your event by measuring against your goals Talk to as many guests as you can Remind people to donate if you’re holding a fundraiser Have fun!

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Step #4 Take down Set the closing time and make sure you have organised people to help you with the take down.

Collect and pack away a ‘starter set’ of clothes for your next swap using only the very best items that haven’t been claimed.

Pack away and neatly organise any remaining items to be donated to your chosen local partners.

Make sure the space is left clean and tidy and that your helpers are properly thanked!

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Expanding

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your swap

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Over the years our global teams have used clothes swaps to centre a larger program of content for a Fashion Revolution Week event. Here are some ideas about ways you can do this using one, some or ALL of the following ideas to enhance the overall experience.

Collaborate & swap Identify a local partner or even group of partners who you can collaborate with to host a swap. This could be a local garment workers union, a town hall, a womens group, a outdoor activites club, a fahsion or lifestyle retailer or any other organisation whose audience would benefit. Sometimes unusual or unexpected partners can make the best collaborators! @fash_rev

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Mend & swap You might want to combine your swap with an upcycling or customisation workshop.

You could invite designers, upcyclers or customisers in to collaborate on your swap.

Or you could prepare some self-led resources so that people can sit down and customise their items. For alterations you could invite local tailors or seamstress to set up a station or you could simply let people know where to go in the local area for a simple alteration.

Workshop & swap Inviting experts to run ralted workshops alongside your swap can create an extra draw. Successful ideas have included, Personal styling, learnign a local textile hand craft, Up-cycling & Mending,

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Watch & swap Fashion Revolution swaps are often paired with a film screening which can create an additional sense of collective action. Choose a title from one of our film partners or something relevant in your local language. Making the screening optional (eg: not obligatory) and or having shorter films on a rolling loop can be a way to allow people to absorb as much or as little of the content as works for them and avoids taking away from the swap activity.

Talk & swap If you’ve chosen a theme (such as Consumption, Composition, Condition or Collective Action) you can include an opportunity for discourse around this topic.

It can be a formal presentation by an expert, a panel discussion or a more informal round table style affair with a Q&A or just more of an airing and sharing session. @fash_rev

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Care & swap A swap is a great place to find out how to care for clothes and to encourage repair and maintenance.

You could set up a repair station and invite clothing repairers from cobblers to darners to repair clothes. Swappers can bring their own pieces to be repaired or have minor repairs of refurbishments carried out on the pieces they have swapped for example a new button sewn on or a hem taken up.

You could provide information on different repair techniques and how to extend the life of clothes.

Similarly you could invite a expert in care and laundering to help swappers understand who to care for their new items from steam cleaning, to washing, ironing and more.

Or you could provide information about how to care for different fibres and fabrics so that people can understand the best way to launder and clean their new items. Use our #WhatsInMyClothes swap resources to find out more.

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More swa

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ap styles

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GFX styled event This year we are partnering again with Global Fashion Exchange (GFX) to join forces and deliver the biggest global swap initiative ever during Fashion Revolution Week 2020.

GFX have a unique and glamorous approach to swapping as well as a global celebrity following.

GFX use a 1-2-1 swap method, meaning each swapper gets to swap the number of items that they have brought with them. GFX also have a system to weigh items for the swap so they can calculate statistics and impact.

This year GFX are also launching ‘SwapChain’ a new methodology that measures collective impact of each individual garment swapped.

You can make your swap a GFX swap using the special guidance they provide here.

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GFX

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GLOBAL SWAP EVENT T O O L K I T FASHION REVOLUTION WEEK 22nd-28th April 2019 Supporting

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Futerra ‘swishing’ event Futerra, the global change agency came up with ‘Swishing’.

“Swishing gives us the perfect reason to get together, get glamourous and save the planet…one outfit at a time. It’s all about the fun – find something you’d never dare to wear, and love it. Make friends over a jumpsuit. Give someone else their milliondollar look, without spending a penny.

There’s nothing better!”

– Lucy Shea, CEO, Futerra have been part of the Fashion Revolution family since day one, Lucy Shea, the original Swisher is a trustee and one of our founding team members. You can follow their unique method for hosting a Swishing event here.

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2020 swap resources Here you will find a link to the pack of resources designed to make your swaps easy to organise and fun to attend. These resources include (but are not limited to): • Swing tags • Educational posters • Material guides • Care tips • Curation guides • Promotional posters • and more...

THE GREAT FASHION REVOLUTION CLOTHES SWAP 20th-26th April 2020 fashionrevolution.org/clothes-swap @fash_rev

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DOWNLOAD THE PACK

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Help us keep our resources open source and free for all, so we can continue to drive change in the fashion industry and improve the lives of the people who make our clothes.

DONATE If you found this resource useful, please consider making a small donation of £5/$5/€5 to help us keep going.

This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union.

Its contents are the sole responsibility of Fashion Revolution and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

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