Slow down fashion with a clothes swap

The time for a Fashion Revolution is long overdue. While big fashion brands are still thriving, the slow fashion movement is encouraging buyers to switch gears. Ditching big names, shopping local and second-hand is the new trend. Its popularity – and necessity – is based on the foundation that it is not only working towards sustaining local economies and trying to decrease fast fashion’s large environmental footprint but going against exploiting workers.

In Cyprus too, several groups and communities have begun raising awareness about the impact of fast fashion and are introducing alternative ways of shopping and looking at clothes. One of them is clothes swap events and next week, a pop-up by Motivw is taking place in Nicosia.

Motivw is a local fashion brand that upcycles, salvages, repurposes and swaps clothes. “We produce garments,” says its founder, 27-year-old George Kyrou, “but make sure they’re made ethically with repurposed fabrics or organically grown cotton. We don’t like waste, whatsoever, so the swaps come in as a way to engage our community, educate and socialise, as well as neutralise our carbon footprint. Our upcycled fabrics are mainly army uniforms, remixed with colourful panels to create garments that also serve as commentary on the socio-political situation in Cyprus.”

On January 29, Motivw is organising a clothes swap event at Sneakpeak Multispace in old Nicosia between 4pm and 10pm, inviting people to refresh their wardrobes with minimal impact. Bring your clothes, up to five items per person, let the team review their condition and you’ll be given tokens with which you can ‘buy’ another item. Exchange tokens have three different values according to the quality, brand and material of the item.

Previous clothes swap events that took place around the island received an extremely positive response and George says that it makes sense. “You no longer love the item, it doesn’t fit, or you feel like it’s just not your vibe? Bring it over, someone else might like it, it might elevate their whole wardrobe, it might be a holy grail for them. Having it sit in a closet collecting dust is just sad.”

Beyond just sad, these kinds of events can cultivate an understanding and act as an introduction to the slow fashion movement. They can show people how to approach clothing in perhaps a more conscious manner. “We’re here to present alternatives,” explains George.

Clothes Swap

Event by Motivw based on clothes donations to slow down fashion. Supported by Fashion Revolution Cy. January 29. Sneakpeak Multispace, Nicosia. 4pm – 10pm. €5. Tel: 99-900627