Oxfam will open a pop-up charity shop in central London next week, as part of a campaign highlighting the damage of sending clothes to landfill.
The creation of the pop-up shop, based inside Selfridges department store on Oxford Street, marks the start of Oxfam’s Second Hand September campaign, during which it is asking people to buy only used clothing.
The shop will be open until the end of the year, and will also coincide with the COP26 global climate summit, hosted by British government.
The summit is a “vital opportunity” for world leaders to deal with the climate crisis, Oxfam said in a statement.
Vintage
The pop-up shop has been designed by Bay Garnett, a stylist and Oxfam’s independent fashion advisor.
The charity said that the shop will sell some of its most sought-after, vintage second-hand clothes, including garments inspired by punk and which “evoke nostalgia” for the 1980s.
The campaign will be fronted by the actress Sienna Miller, who will appear on posters across Oxfam’s network of more than 500 shops.
Oxfam: We can all ‘leave a lighter footprint’
Danny Sriskandarajah, chief executive of Oxfam GB, said: “The climate crisis is already wreaking havoc on people’s lives with extreme weather events that are destroying homes and harvests.
“Scientists warn we have just nine years to prevent catastrophic global temperature rises so all of us – governments, companies and individuals – have a role to play in rapidly reducing carbon emissions.
“Choosing second-hand is one way we can leave a lighter footprint on the planet while sending a message to retailers that we want them to slow down fashion.
“By shopping at Oxfam, you’re also raising money to help some of the world’s poorest people cope with the impacts of climate change.”
Oxfam GB reported that charity shop sales were down by around 50% over Christmas 2020 compared with the year before, as a result of lockdown.
Sebastian Manes, executive buying and merchandising director of Selfridges, said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming back Oxfam and Bay to Selfridges.
“Last year's Oxfam shop was a great success, and we were excited to be able to extend the project and invite in some really exciting collaborators throughout the three-month residency.”
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