round she goes preloved fashion market – old is the new new
Recycling is a fantastic way to have a say in how our habits impact the planet. But it’s not just limited to milk cartons and cardboard – secondhand fashion is an increasingly widespread way of being a conscious consumer.
Round She Goes is a preloved designer and vintage fashion market. Created by sisters Emma and Anne Morris, Round She Goes is looking for stallholders for the Adelaide market on May 5. Lip caught up with one half of the entrepreneurial duo, Emma, to chat sustainable fashion and secondhand clothes.
Creating the pop-up market was a succession of easy steps for the sisters. Emma’s been a serial op-shopper since her early teens, and knows what it’s like to accumulate a wardrobe full of gems that seem too good to give away.
“I tried Camberwall and other existing markets [in Melbourne],” Emma explains. “They didn’t work so well, so my sister and I decided to create a market that suited us.”
Round She Goes debuted in Melbourne, incorporating a diverse array of stallholders and customers.
“They range from young girls to grandmothers – you never know what you’re going to find!”
Whilst an op-shopping trip demands time to rummage through the heinous to discover treasures, Emma and Anne have done the sorting for you.
“We ask people to send in lots of detail about clothes, and we make a judgement call regarding the quality. We’re okay with saying no, as the culling process is very important.”
The habit of buying preloved goods is becoming increasingly common, as fashionistas turn to op-shops and eBay to purchase unique items. Round She Goes is riding on the popularity of secondhand markets, which provide an alternative to mass-produced clothes.
“Everyone is over-consumed out,” says Emma. “My sixteen-year-old niece and her friends are not interested in chain stores and shopping centres. If that generation is rejecting that way of shopping, then we know that something is wrong.
“I’ve been to New York – stores throw out leftover stock on the street. It’s very wasteful. Some stores cut it into rags rather than donate them to where they can be useful.”
Emma is referring to H&M, an international label heavily criticised in 2011 after a student discovered a rubbish bag full of unsold garments cut up outside a Manhattan store. A neighbouring Walmart was found using the same practices. Industry insiders have claimed that many big-name designers shred unsold stock in order to protect their brand from discount bins or being worn by (shock horror!) disadvantaged and homeless people.
Australia has similar figures concerning discarded goods in the fashion industry. Waste is estimated to be $1.7 billion every year – and much of this is landfill. The fashion industry encourages a culture of disposability – some items will be worthless come the next season. This is called fast fashion, and depends on a constant cycle of buy and dispose.
Round She Goes was part of the Sustainable Living Festival in 2011, solidifying them as a market that is not only about vintage threads, but also providing an alternative to a wasteful industry.
“I believe that secondhand shopping is a backlash to our society’s habit of overconsumption,” Emma says. “There are two current trends – online, and in a secondhand marketplace. For Australia, with the state of the dollar, shoppers weigh up buying locally or online (overseas) for the same price or better.”
While Round She Goes could have become a successful online venture, the sisters deliberately designed a physical pop-up market.
“We try to create a fun day out. You get to try things on, and don’t have to pay the postage and deal with all the online hassle. There is also the benefit of personal interaction.
“Round She Goes is giving a different choice to the unsustainable habits of consumption.”
Whether you’ve got a wardrobe full of last season’s frocks, or consciously buying secondhand in the backlash against unsustainable industry practices, visit Round She Goes when they visit your city! Visit www.roundshegoes.com.au to find out how you can get involved!
Adelaide
Saturday 5 May 10am-3pm
German Club Hall, 223 Flinders St Adelaide
$2 entry
Melbourne
Sunday 20 May 10am-3pm
Moorabbin Town Hall, 979 Nepean Highway Moorabbin
$2 entry
Keep up with Round She Goes news here.
(Photo credit: James Mepham.)
