Global Fashion Exchange to bring clothes swap event to New York

By

Robin Driver

Published
Mar 29, 2021

Global Fashion Exchange, the international organization promoting sustainability in the fashion industry, will set up its first “swappable department store” in Walker Hotels’ Tribeca, New York location this April.

Taking over some 20 rooms of the hotel, the SwapAteria event will invite participants to bring in their own used clothes to swap for tokens, which can then be exchanged for pieces from a curated selection of vintage and second-hand luxury fashion. Swaps will be monitored by a real-time tracking system dubbed SwapChain, which can also be used to see the history of the pieces on offer.
 
“Our partnership with Walker Hotels is our first hotel partnership and furthers our mission to bring swapping to the masses, offering a unique opportunity to change how we engage with fashion,” explained Global Fashion Exchange founder Patrick Duffy to WWD.

Along with Walker Hotels, Global Fashion Exchange’s partners for the New York event include the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the Brooklyn Style Foundation, the New York Fair Trade Association and Fashion Revolution.
 
The initiative seeks to raise awareness about sustainable practices in the fashion industry and taps into the popularity of second-hand fashion, which has grown rapidly over the last few years, as consumers have become increasingly concerned with the ethical implications of their wardrobes.
 
Up until now, online or digital-first consignment and resale platforms, such as The RealReal, ThredUp and Poshmark, have had the most success in capitalizing on this burgeoning market. However, if successful, Global Fashion Exchange’s New York event could signal the rise of a more hands-on, experiential approach to the trend.
 
Global Fashion Exchange’s SwapAteria will run at the Walker Hotel Tribeca, April 22 through 30.