Clothes Swapping at Copenhagen Fashion Week - GUEST POST

The following guest post is written by Sherylyn Oben

When you think of Fashion Week, it usually conjures up images of the newest designer fashion, impeccably-dressed style stars and chic models sashaying on the catwalks. Recently concluded Copenhagen Fashion Week had all that, and more.

Since it was fashion week for a city that prides itself for being the greenest in the world, this year’s event also highlighted Danish fashion industry’s initiatives to promote sustainable consumption and environmental responsibility.

In what almost appears like the antithesis of mainstream fashion, the event’s three-day run was capped off last Saturday with the first Fashion Exchange, a huge clothing swap market held in the city hall square. Armed with big paper bags and a good eye for spotting steals, hundreds of Copenhagen locals flocked to the venue to exchange their unwanted clothing for a free new wardrobe.

“I think it is a brilliant idea. We get to give our old cherished clothes new homes, we get to bring home “new” clothes from the swap for no cost at all, all while doing our planet good,” said one of the participants. “I think it’s high time that the fashion industry promote sustainability. Copenhagen is a very good example and I hope other cities also follow suit.”

All excess clothings and other remainders were donated to Asylum Centre Sandholm via Danish Red Cross.

Sherylyn Oben is a photographer and content creator for online survey aggregator SurveyBee