Local clothing swap atelier #Awesome is joining forces with H&M in Eindhoven. The Tongelre-based atelier will sell its self-made products in a branch of the fashion chain in the Piazza. These products are recycled from old clothes. For #Awesome, the collaboration is a real milestone.
“I couldn’t believe it at first,” says Ellen Schepers, one of the volunteers.
The workshop on Bloemfonteinstraat employs, among others, people with a distance to the labour market. Previously, they had been making products for an online cat shop, but now their sewing suddenly appears in one of the larger fashion chains. With that, #Awesome is suddenly on the map.
Earlier, chairperson Philo van Gassel had quite often to explain the work she does. That is now changing. “At the word H&M, everyone’s mouth falls open. I am very enthusiastic about it. The collaboration suits us very well because H&M is also so sustainable,” she says.
From bags to sunglass covers
At the #Awesome shop, anyone can exchange their own clothes for items from the shop. “H&M liked this so much that they wanted to work with us,” says Van Gassel. Besides the clothing exchange, the #Awesome studio makes products, such as garlands, bags, and sunglass covers, from old clothes. They may soon sell these homemade products at H&M. “We will have our own table in the H&M Piazza for that,” says Gassel.
All proceeds will go to the clothing exchange studio in Tongelre. #Awesome wants to encourage sustainability with its products and also likes to help people on a small budget. The shop, therefore, sells second-hand clothes at low prices and works with the clothing exchange system. “Some people can’t buy clothes otherwise, others like to applaud sustainability,” says Van Gassel.
From 10 July, the garlands, sunglass covers and other products will be at the H&M in Eindhoven’s Piazza.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Martijn
