British fashion designer and campaigner Katharine Hamnett stopped by Oxfam's Dalston store unexpectedly to lend her support to the organization's #SecondHandSeptember initiative, reported Hackney Citizen.
The campaign aims to lessen the environmental impact of the fashion industry by encouraging consumers to shop secondhand and adopting Hamnett's catchphrase, "No more fashion victims."
A limited-edition batch of T-shirts given by Oxfam will include the famous phrase and be available for purchase in all of the charity's stores.
The message will be seen on used apparel for the first time, with one of the tops making a memorable appearance at Oxfam's Style for Change catwalk presentation during London Fashion Week.
"My local Oxfam shop seemed like the perfect place to announce my support of #SecondHandSeptember," said Hamnett, who has spent more than three decades advocating for changes to the fashion industry's environmental effects.
"This fantastic advertising raises awareness of the advantages of purchasing used clothing rather than brand-new items. something I wholeheartedly support.
The Dalston shop staff is anticipating a busy month filled with a spike in contributions of high-quality clothing.
If you're in the area, definitely stop by this awesome store. On my birthday, I received a beautiful picnic blanket and even saw that the store had some of my own pants, which I believe I designed more than 20 years ago.
"It's wonderful to see that years later, people still adore and appreciate my own designs."
Daria Santoro, deputy store manager at Oxfam's Kingsland Road location, stated: "We get a fantastic mix of shoppers come through our doors every day, but getting to meet Katharine today was a real treat."
When we discovered her pants on the rack, we were shocked! Katharine is a living example of how trendy and stylish secondhand clothing can be.
"We sincerely hope that the community will support Second Hand September this year, visit the store, and be motivated to donate a few pieces of clothing they no longer wear."
Throughout September, Oxfam stores will carry Hamnett's "No more fashion victims" t-shirts, which aim to raise awareness of the importance of reusing, rewearing, and extending the life of current apparel in order to combat climate change.
The collectible, limited-edition T-shirts won't be screen-printed with the hazardous chemicals that are often used in screen printing. Rather, the renowned logos will be printed onto the clothing using eco-friendly water-based inks.
In its sixth year, #SecondHandSeptember hopes to raise awareness that secondhand does not always equate to second best and to promote the donation of gently used clothing so that others may appreciate and wear it.