4 Seasons of Swaps
As well as coaching, I am also co-host of Mega Clothes Swaps held in Tokyo with Amy Hanashiro of Oakwood, Midtown
We have been through a year of swapping and we want to give you a reflection on the past year and how our swaps have been going, who we have been supporting and how they have grown.
In our most recent swap on March 11th it was our mostly well-attended and wide-reaching swap. There were loads of new faces and it was great to meet everyone. Perhaps the most important part of this swap was a minute’s silence led by lovely Chad our bar tender and man-about-the-house.
We had over 60 people attend, some people clocking up 4 consecutive attendances.
The backbone of these swaps is constructed on three pillars:
Access
To small business, artists, latest CSR initiatives, Oakwood and charities
Sustainable
Style, clothing and lifestyle. Recycling, pairing down and engagin in quality exchange. Reducing waste.
Community
A chance to get together, enjoy wine, our fantastic hosts and make new friends.
At the latest March 11th 2017 swap, we again highlighted Resilience, our sponsored charity of choice, which provides access to information and education on how to deal with physical, mental and sexual violence. And how we, the friends of the vulnerable can help.
Resilience needs cash input. And we heard Jennifer Shinkai talk about how she raised ¥300,000 for resilience running the Tokyo marathon. And she will be doing the Spartan Race for the same cause later this year.
We also highlighted style curator, Mary Fidler and Tokyo stylist, Corin Kanazawa, who offered style advice and saved me from a couple of poor style decisions, but also ensured I am now the proud owner of a faux fur jacket and a fabulous fascinator!
In November 2016, Sachi from Resilience spoke and brought other members from the team to select items that may be useful to women who have escaped violence with only the clothes on their back.
In August 2016 we braved the heat and highlighted the singer Sorcha Chisholm, who had recently released her album ‘Hymns for Her’. We played her music and sold her CDs.
In May 2016, our first swap, we invited Angela Ortiz, head of Corporate Social Responsibility at H&M to come and speak about H&M’s drive to create more recycled jewelry and fabrics. We also highlighted their drive to collect used clothing. Angela made a short presentation about the problem of factories in China polluted the local rivers with dye and ways to combat that. All attendees received 10% vouchers from H&M.
What happens to the leftover clothes?
The Tokyo Orphanage and leftovers went to be sold at their bazaar.
Tohoku shelter and leftovers will be sold at the bazaar.
What happens to the entry fee?
Transportation costs for leftover clothes and for refreshments and drinks on the day.
Remaining funds are donated.
All that remains to say is THANK YOU ALL for participating in our ClothesSwaps. It’s wonderful to see you four times a year and we look forward to seeing you for the Summer Collection, which will be held either at the end of June or early July. Date To be confirmed. If you want to be the first to know about upcoming swaps sign up for the newsletter (dedicated to swaps) below or click here.