Archive, the circularity platform, said it has nearly two dozen notable brands participating in the “Second Hand September” campaign, which was launched by U.K. charity organization Oxfam. The campaign spotlights “the benefits of shopping pre-loved items and encourages consumers to give clothes a longer life,” the company said.
The brands include The North Face, Hobo, Dr. Martens, Maje, M.M.LaFleur, Diane Von Furstenberg, Marimekko and Oscar de la Renta, among many others. Archive said Second Hand September “encourages consumers to embrace sustainability by purchasing pre-owned items during a month when the fashion industry has historically focused on showcasing only new products on the runways.”
Emily Gittins, cofounder and chief executive officer of Archive, thanked the participating brands and said the rise “in participation reflects a growing commitment to minimizing waste and landfill accrual in the fashion industry. We’re proud to partner with these forward-thinking fashion companies to make shopping secondhand more accessible and desirable for consumers during this monthlong activation and all through the year.”
The company said in a statement that by encouraging secondhand shopping, it and its brand partners “are actively working to reduce the industry’s environmental impacts and encourage consumers to shift to a more circular fashion model — one that emphasizes extending the lifecycle of garments through resale, reuse and recycling.” Participating brands in the campaign are holding in-store and online activations and promotions, styling events and live panel discussions.
Archive said many brands are running discounts, promotions and marketing campaigns online. “Participating brands are committed to raising awareness about the importance of secondhand fashion and making it simple, convenient and enjoyable for consumers to extend the useful lives of pre-loved items and make more sustainable choices,” the company said, adding that participating brands “will also share special content on their social channels under the #SecondHandSeptember hashtag.”
For its part, Oxfam has created a special campaign website with insights into the program, its benefits and how to get involved. The nonprofit also has a blog, which includes topics such as “How to Darn a Hole in Your Clothes” and how to “Upgrade a Classic White Shirt With Ruffles.”
In one post, Felicity Jones shares her top places to shop secondhand. “My favorite place to shop vintage would be Berwick Street,” Jones said. “It has some amazing vintage shops that I’ve been going to for many, many years. Chiswick is pretty good and Marylebone High Street. Between all those places you’re guaranteed to get something amazing.”