Wearing second-hand clothing has become an act of “rebellion” for young people concerned about climate change, according to a star stylist.
Bay Garnett, who put together the outfits for Oxfam’s forthcoming London Fashion Week show, said shopping in charity shops is a sustainable way of enjoying fashion.
The stylist, who has dressed stars including Kate Moss in charity shop fashion, also said she believes the culture of wearing a new outfit just once for a social media post will become a thing of the past.
Garnett has hand-picked around 80 items of clothing for the Oxfam show in February and said it is “absolutely essential” that second-hand clothes are included on the world fashion stage.
Stylist Bay Garnett has a look through her fashion show items (Jacob King/PA)
“I mean, this is what people want to buy so much more now. So you can’t just have collections anymore that are just about new clothes because it would be out of touch with the climate, literally the climate, and also the climate of what people now want to be buying and wearing,” she told the PA news agency.
As she was envisaging the show in her head, Garnett, Oxfam’s independent fashion adviser, said she was thinking of “different genres, different tribes, different ideas of what people might love”.
The event, called Fashion Fighting Poverty 23 and sponsored by eBay, will feature around 40 looks modelled by “personalities” rather than a parade of catwalk models.
“There’s a few models, but no, it’s personalities. And I think that’s really important, because second-hand clothes are for everybody,” said Garnett.
“It’s not trying to create a world that’s exclusive to a certain type of person. It’s inclusive.”
Outfits will feature a mix of second-hand designer items, vintage finds and some pre-loved high street clothes.
“Like, if you went to a great charity shop you’d find a great mix of stuff, and so that’s what I’ve tried to do for the show,” she said.
She added: “I think that charity shops really enable you to be more imaginative about the way that you wear things, which is inspiring.”
Speaking about the apparent rise in popularity of second-hand clothes, Garnett said she believes it has been driven by young people concerned about the environment.
She said it has become “an active rebellion to a lot of young people”, adding: “It’s become an active choice.
“It’s a form of activism, and that’s really taken hold in the last two years.”
Asked whether she is worried about the quality of charity shops diminishing and having fewer desirable items due to the popularity of fast fashion brands, Garnett said: “Actually, I think the opposite.
“I’m full of hope that people will want to start buying things that are better made, fewer of the real throwaway fashion.”
Bay Garnett with second-hand shoes from the Oxfam fashion collection (Jacob King/PA)
She also …….