Hawke’s Bay shoppers keen to update their wardrobes turned out in droves to the My Walk In Wardrobe event held in Hastings at the weekend, doing their bit to support sustainable fashion.

My Walk In Wardrobe is New Zealand's largest sustainable fashion market, and the event held on Saturday, June 4 at the Tōmoana Showgrounds Exhibition Hall was record-breaking.

It followed a trial event in Napier earlier in the year, and owner and founder Katy Pakinga said it showed that Hawke’s Bay people loved the idea of sustainable shopping and were keen for more.

The Hastings event hit an all-time high for the business with 1200 shoppers attending and spending more than $32,000 on sustainable fashion at 39 stalls.

About 1670 items of clothing were sold over the day, said Katy, who loved being back in the Bay and was thrilled to have had such huge interest.

“Perfect weather certainly contributed to a great event, but seeing a lineup of about 150 people before the doors opened was so exciting. There was a constant stream of people coming in all day.

“With this event people can clear out their wardrobes and make a few dollars for themselves, small businesses have an opportunity to sell their wares, and shoppers can purchase sustainable options – pre-loved, vintage, handmade and upcycled.

“We want more people to make better choices, avoid fast/temporary fashion, and enjoy slow, quality fashion, often at a great price!”

At the end of each market, stallholders have the option to donate any of their unsold clothes to chosen local charities, which are given away rather than being on-sold.

Hastings District Council provided funding for the event through its Waste Minimisation Fund, which people can apply for to develop innovative solutions for reducing waste.

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Hastings councillor and eco-districts subcommittee chair Ann Redstone said the My Walk In Wardrobe event was an example of a practical, effective solution providing real results.

“Clothing is a huge contributor to our overall waste volumes and it’s great to have innovative initiatives like these to recycle and reuse – it’s fantastic so many people took the opportunity to take part.

“My favourite shops are op shops and second hand clothing stores. It has always been an option for me as I save money and save good clothing from going to landfill.”

For anyone that missed out, My Walk In Wardrobe will be back in Hastings to run two more events this year: Saturday, September 10, and Saturday, November 26. Find more information about these events and My Walk In Wardrobe at https://www.mywalkinwardrobe.co.nz/

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