A whole new wardrobe for $49 a year?
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It sounds too good to be true, but Newcastle businesswomen Sheona Malcolm-Green and Jasmine Flamenco want to make it a reality for Hunter residents, all while helping the environment.
Ms Malcolm-Green suggested an idea for a second-hand clothes club to Ms Flamenco one day after a Newcastle women's networking event, and the rest was history.
Before long, they were working towards a combined dream of creating The Re: Club with the aim of developing a new way of shopping for preloved fashion, through memberships and events.
They hope to encourage people to consider where their clothes come from and where they go after they've thrown them out.
"I really had no knowledge of the huge impact the mainstream fashion industry has on the natural environment," Ms Flamenco said.
"As soon as I did even a tiny amount of research, I was shocked by what I found.
"As fashion mass consumers, many of us have little understanding of the amount of resources it takes to produce the clothes we buy, or where our clothes go once we donate them or worse, throw them away.
"This is something that needs to change. We need to change the way we think about and buy fashion."
The pair are passionate about keeping clothes out of landfill.
"Most people think that donating their clothes to op shops is the best option, but it's actually just passing the problem along," Ms Flamenco said.
"We hope, through education, we can change the way we all think about and purchase clothing.
"We're also working on a product that will use the clothes that aren't able to be resold, so we can close the loop."
The young business has gained a lot of attention since its establishment in late January.
While they had to temporarily alter their goal of hosting monthly popup preloved shopping events due to coronavirus restrictions, they aren't letting it slow them down.
We need to change the way we think about and buy fashion.
- The Re: Club co-founder Jasmine Flamenco
"We're about to launch an online store for our clothing," Ms Malcolm Green said.
"This means members are able to continue shopping with their points, and non-members can still browse and purchase as they would on any other online shopping platform.
"It's been a project we've had bubbling for a while, but we're really excited to finally launch it."
Ms Malcolm-Green said they had received positive feedback from their first event in February.
"I can't believe how amazing the community has been to love the concepts and get involved," she said.
"Everyone who came [to our event] was so impressed by the prices and the whole concept."
The friends are hoping to expand their events and membership program to other Australian cities in the future, and to remove stigmas associated with second-hand shopping by styling their events beautifully.
For more information about The Re: Club, or to find out how you can join in the fun, visit thereclub.com.au
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