- The Guardian Sat urday 31 Aug ust 2019
(^28) National
just aesthetic but political. With
the younger generation wearing
second hand is a political and
environmental choice.”
Their involvement is refl ective
of an industry in soul-searching
mode as it faces up to its role in the
climate crisis. Such initiatives “are
brilliant ways to get more people
informed about the challenges we
are facing due to sustainability
and climate change,” sa id the
British Fashion Council’s CEO,
Caroline Rush.
“With an industry that is growing
faster than the wider economy, it’s
important that we address these
challenges and inspire both the
industry and the public to follow.”
Garnett said: “There is a brilliant
magic that happens in a charity
shop. It’s a diff erent mindset: you’re
working too. It’s more of a task. I love
the thrill when you fi nd something.
And you may not every time – and
that’s life – there are no guarantees.
But when you do no one else will
have it. ”
Second Hand September Shoppers
urged not to buy new season clothes
Hannah Marriott
S
eptember occupies a
mythical position in
the fashion industry,
when magazines are
traditionally heavy
with advertising and
substantial winter purchases are
made. This year, however, fashion’s
most important shopping month
will be disrupted by Second Hand
September, a major drive urging
consumers not to buy new clothing
for the entire 30 days.
The Oxfam-organised campaign
aims to raise awareness of fashion’s
environmental impact. Nicola
Tallett, the charity’s director of
engagement, said: “We have seen
on a daily basis the impact of the
climate emergency on people
living in poverty, whether through
the droughts in east Africa or the
earthquakes in Asia, and we wanted
to do something about it. ”Oxfam’s campaign is backed
by many who work in fashion,
including the model Stella Tennant,
who appeared in a shoot promoting
the initiative, and Bay Garnett, a
stylist best known for styling Kate
Moss in vintage clothing in the 00s.
ABout 15 years ago, the vintage
trend was often “about referencing
the past and about individuality an a
sense of coolness – cache – in fi nding
something unusual,” said Garnett.
“This time, its meaning is notThe 30-day moratorium, she
add ed, could be the basis of long-
term changes. “It’s long enough to
force you to create new habits but
not so long that it feels daunting.”
Second Hand September is
part of a burgeoning movement.
Other initiatives urging shoppers
to eschew new clothing include
Fashion For Good’s three month-
long #slowfashionseason, while
Extinction Rebellion is urging its
followers to boycott fashion for a
year, and has requested that London
fashion week be cancelled.
“By asking people to boycott
fashion it sounds as though we are
telling people to make a sacrifi ce,”
said Extinction Rebellion’s Sara
Arnold, “but actually we don’t
need to go without – there are
so many items of clothing out
there. It’s also not saying that we
shouldn’t be creative – there can be
an explosion of creativity, whether
that’s upcycling your own clothes or
swapping clothes. Restrictions can
be a source of creativity. ”‘There can be
an explosion of
creativity, whether
that’s upcycling
your old clothes or
swapping clothes’Sara Arnold
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