The new 'it' thing: a clothes swap party
The State of Fashion 2024, 75% of Gen Z aged 11-26 consumers consider sustainability when making purchases. In India, thrifting began humbly in friends' homes, where clothes were piled on to beds and sifted through together. Garage sales and informal swaps were also known, but weren't a popular concept.
With millennial and Gen Z consumers' growing interest in conscious fashion post-pandemic, thrifting has evolved beyond purchasing clothes, culminating in the rise of clothing swap parties. Imagine exchanging six pieces of clothing for six new ones without spending a single rupee. That's one of the reasons for their rising popularity.
Thrift organisations like The Shift, Bombay Closet Cleanse, The Relove Closet, Fashion Revolution India are now hosting regular clothes-swap parties across the country, promoting circular fashion. The swap-and-shop model works on three ideas: reduce waste, promote creativity, and encourage participants to repurpose and restyle existing garments. At non-profit Fashion Revolution India's recent swap party in Bengaluru, for instance, close to 230 people showed up.
Most of them were millennials and Gen Zers, informs Shruti Singh, 36, the country head of Fashion Revolution India. Saanvi Pahari, 17, a homeschooled student planning to pursue a bachelor's degree in fashion design, was one of them. ''I'm trying to be as conscious as possible, considering how dirty the fashion industry is," says Pahari, who got a maroon embroidered shrug at the swap and a navy blue floral mini skirt.
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