Words by: Imthishal Mohamed
THE ART OF SUSTAINABLE THRIFTING
“stigma around used clothes, that must be tackled”
Over the decades thrift culture has only ever been celebrated as an underdog when it comes to the continually evolving fashion world. However, as the years pass the youth of the 21st century seem to have a deeper connection and an advanced understanding of vintage wear from the 80’s and 90’s. An era that was drenched in MTV, funky hairstyles and late nights at the arcade was more significantly remembered for its extreme style, which has till this day never completely faded.
In the Maldives it is not common to see a Second hand store, especially one that is solely focused on clothing. There may be numerous reasons for this, but one that stands out the most is the “stigma around used clothes, that must be tackled”. Lucky for us our friendly neighbourhood thrift store “Preloved” aims to turn this around. With heads held high and pockets of faith they opened their doors on July 2019.
PRELOVED MALDIVES
THE CONCEPT BEING IT ALL
Some more than others are unacquainted to an issue that has constantly been buried by commercialism. Providentially, the outspoken Preloved does not fail to highlight such complications; “the Fashion Industry is a major contributor to the terrible impact that the environment is currently facing”. Furthermore, what we as a society fail to see is that the “little things we do may have a negative effect” and it is not too late for us to raise above and “do something about it”, because it truthfully does make a difference “even if we do not see it everyday” .Through actions and words the mindful local business has and will always stick to their mantra of “spreading awareness in order to increase sustainability” and hopefully even “break the stigma” behind thrifting in the Maldives.
FEHIFATHI
In simple terms Upcycling revolves around the process of “turning damaged garments unfit for wearing into a product of high quality and added value”. Therefore, by taking into use the materials from unwanted and worn-out items, we can “make it into something better and desirable”. By applying this into our daily lives we can organically create a “circular economy” allowing us to eliminate waste, which is the ever anticipated conclusion for any environment oriented business’s objective.
To achieve this shared target Preloved joined hands with; Dreamers Maldives and Zero Waste Maldives. Together they emphasize on the significance of upcycling in their collaborative project “Fehifathi”.Currently they are working on “creating tote bag from second hand clothes and fabric”.
Moreover, the team holds a profound passion towards the “importance of women empowerment”, and given the opportunity Preloved get its “creative hands” from local seamstresses and stay at home mums, providing them with a chance to thrive alongside.
On the other hand, the organization shows much compassion to those in need. During the lockdown there were rumours of a scarcity in sanitary pads within the local Islands, with an itch to be of any service they posted a tutorial (on Instagram;@fehifathimv) on how to make a reusable pad with the recourses that would be effortlessly available. Additionally, Preloved has persistently encouraged upcycling from home, while it may aid in saving money it is also quick and efficient, especially in the period of COVID-19 it certainly does come in handy.
HOW DO WE CONTRIBUTE TO MOTHER NATURE?
The ambitious Preloved carries with it an ultimate goal to create a community of shoppers possessing eco-friendly cognition. Nevertheless, one would need theory and practice to develop such beneficial habits. For any earth lovers out there who takes an interest in this topic, a highlyrecommended source of information is found on their website
The 1st Issue of ALUN will assist you in learning the grave impact of irresponsible purchasing and the principles to help you fight against it. These small changes can reduce your carbon footprint on earth. When will you begin?
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