Marble Arch was the location for the new M&S two day Oxfam pop up shwop shop. Over 40 celebrities including Alexa Chung, Daisy Lowe and Plan B all donated items that were sold. To gain entry to the shop you needed a special ticket – something to “shwop” (an unwanted or unused item of clothing).
Adam Elman, Head of Plan A Delivery at Marks & Spencer, said: “The Shwop Shop is a celebration of shwopping. Fashion influencers, designers, stylists, thought-leaders and visionaries have given their sign of approval by donating their unwanted items and we hope this will inspire a new generation of shwoppers who see fashion and sustainability as one. The aim is to change people’s attitudes towards clothes recycling and give unwanted garments a future.”
The celebrity shop was staffed by a host of famous faces throughout the two days including shwopping guru Joanna Lumley, who said:
“By opening your hearts, minds and your wardrobe and going shwopping, you can not only bag an outfit worn on the red carpet or to a glitzy awards evening, but help the environment too. Fashion with a conscience, it is perfect isn’t it? By shwopping all we want you to do is give your unwanted items stuffed in the back of your wardrobe a future. Simply bring an old item back every time you buy a new outfit, shwop and shop! Come to the Shwop Shop, shwop and shop and leave with a smile – the world will then feel a better place!”
Marks and Spencer has pioneered the idea of shwopping – a revolutionary clothes recycling initiative where customers can donate any item of clothing, of any brand, to be re-used, resold or recycled by charity partner Oxfam.
The campaign aims to put an end to the one billion items currently ending up in landfill every year. All M&S clothing stores now accept used and unwanted items of clothing from any brand, all year round. The ultimate aim for M&S is to collect 350 million items a year – recycling as many clothes as it sells.
World famous pop group One Direction have announced that their fans will soon get the chance to enter their very own ‘1D World’ in their brand new pop up shop – the first to open in the UK. The 5,000 sq ft store is in Leeds and will open on 23rd March, selling exclusive merchandise.
