Op Shop Fashion Gets A New Lease On Life

Sustainable fashion is the theme for the Hayward Street Style Showcase. The event will feature donated items from Salvation Army Family Stores, which have been revamped and given a new lease on life.

Stafford Family Store manager Mark Andrews said the stylish pieces would come from the next generation of Australian designers ' the degree students of the Fashion Precinct at Mount Gravatt TAFE.

There will also be repurposed items upcycled by the Restitch Upcycling Studio and modelled by our models,� he said. These garments are pieces that in a previous life looked completely different and have been re-shaped, decorated, and added to very imaginatively. This will give the audience an insight into the newest fashion movement in Australia: re-inventing used garments into completely new and different outfits. You have to see it to believe it.�

Mark said it would be a fun and exciting event where vintage, boho, and retro fashions would be modelled by a range of diverse people from the local community, embracing the theme of inclusivity and empowerment.

The Showcase models are all volunteers stepping out boldly with great encouragement, representing all of us,� he said. The models, male and female, represent all backgrounds and sizes, in a statement of self-empowerment and 'feeling confident in their own skin'.�

The idea for the event came from Major Ian Channell, Corps Officer, who wanted to raise funds to assist and support The Salvation Army's Indigenous ministries. Funds raised from the showcase will support the Making It Happen project, which includes The Waterhole ' a community day care centre in Alice Springs for the indigenous community, providing clean drinking water, shower and laundry facilities, an art program, and sales opportunities.

The showcase will allow vintage, boho, and retro fashions to come to life again on the catwalk, and hopes to inspire the audience to create their own unique, individual fashion look. All fashion worn during the showcase will be available for sale after the event.

Come along to this charity event, which will give you a peek at the fabulous fashions available at your local Salvation Army Store,� Mark said.

For more information, go to Facebook or Instagram @StaffordSalvos or follow #ourstoreisyourwardrobe

Hayward Street Style Showcase
Thursday, 24 June, 10.30am and 6.30pm
The Salvation Army
32 Hayward Street, Stafford