♻️ QUEERSWAP X SUSTAINABLE FASHION WEEK! ♻️
It's finally here! Sustainable Fashion Week is an annual event bringing together organisations, brands, makers and activists working to change fashion, building a powerful collective and amplifying their work.
Our team has been working on this ALL YEAR and we are so excited to finally share the incredible programme of events we have lined up for you!
We're talking workshops, flea markets, fashion shows… the whole kit & caboodle (do y'all say that in the UK? Well, if you didn't, now you do.)
Our sustainable fashion week events will take place over TWO weekends.
September 28th at Hackney Bridge (E15)
Giant Clothes Swap
Sip & Stitch Social*
Dress to Impress: IRL
T-Shirt Yarn Workshop £3/pp
Crochet Mini-Bag Workshop £5/pp
Visible Mending Workshop £5/pp
October 5th at Chats Palace (E9)
Fashion Flea Market
Queer Fashion Show
Textile Art Gallery
Fashion Vision Board Collage Workshop £3-5
Screenprinting Demonstrations
Fabric & Leather Painting Workshop £8/pp
C*nty Crafts with @thecraftydyke.ldn* £8/pp
Empowering Personal Style Workshop with @styling_gaze* £8/pp
Out of the Closet and Into the Thrift with @lottielashley*
+ The Great Queer Sewing Bee!*
(interested in competing in the sewing bee? email us!)
Our last event sold out, so make sure you grab your tickets before they're gone!
Hackney Bridge and Chats Palace are both wheelchair accessible with disabled toilets on the first floor. However, some activities will be taking place on the second floor and do not have step-free access. These activities are marked with an asterisk(*) above.
♻️ ABOUT THE CLOTHES SWAP ♻️
How it works:
Swap participants are welcome to bring up to 10 items of gently-used clothing and exchange them for new-to-you items that suit their current style. When you arrive you will exchange your swappable items for tokens. You can then browse items brought by others, and “check out” at the end by “cashing in” your tokens for those items.
1 item = 1 token to exchange 🔄
Once the items are traded for tokens they go straight onto the floor, so make sure you are 100% sure before you pass them over.
Then you can look at all the items brought by other people, take a break to check out the market or grab a bite, do another lap to see if anything else you like has been added, and “check-out” with your chosen items whenever you are finished. We encourage people to arrive earlier so they can get the most out of the event and see more items that come into the swap before they are snagged by someone else.
We will not accept any dirty items, or items that are stained, torn (unless “distressed” intentionally), missing buttons, have broken zips, etc. We also will not accept underwear(pants), socks, tights/hosiery, or earrings/piercings unless new in packaging. Shoes and coats must be in great condition or better, and clean! We do not accept childrens clothing.
We do allow hats, scarves, belts, bracelets, necklaces, binders, corsets, bodysuits, and bags.
If you have more than 10 items you may bring the excess as a donation. You will still be capped at 10 swapping tickets in order to help ensure everyone can find items.
♻️ ACCESSIBILITY ♻️
Chats Palace: first floor is step-free and wheelchair accessible with an accessible toilet large enough for a carer to attend. All toilets are gender neutral. The some workshops and the sewing bee will be held on the second floor, which is located up two half-flights of stairs with a small platform in between. Some seating will be available in the main bar. Seating will be available for all workshops and for the fashion show.
Hackney Bridge is a step-free, wheelchair accessible venue with accessible toilets. The only exception is the mezzanine where the sip + stitch social will be held, which is up a flight of stairs. However, you can also find seating and socialise elsewhere on-site. There is a large, heavy door into the event space that does not have a push-to-open button. You may need assistance opening this door. If you're looking for parking, there is on-the-street parking available on Wallis Street on the other side of the river, and a lift that will take you up to the bridge to cross over to Hackney Bridge. Clothing for the swap will be hung on industrial rails, which will be about 1.65m high, and some items will be on normal height tables.
COVID Testing and masking is highly encouraged.
Please do not attend if you are ill as we have immunocompromised community members.