Oxfam’s Fashion Relief Goes on Tour To Galway and Dublin, 2020

When and where is it on?

Fashion Relief is on tour in Galway and Dublin in 2020:

1 March: The Galmont Hotel and Spa, Lough Atalia Road, Galway from 11.00am – 5.00pm

28 – 29 March: | Hall 4, The RDS, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 from 11.00am – 5.00pm

How many years has it been going?

The first Fashion Relief was held in the RDS in Dublin on 13th May 2018 and in 2019 the event was hosted in Cork, Galway and Dublin. Now in its third year, Fashion relief has raised over €200,000 with all profits supporting people affected by poverty and disaster, including communities at the sharp end of climate emergencies and conflict in places like Yemen, Ethiopia and Bangladesh.

Fashion Relief goes on Tour

What was the inspiration to start it?

Lorraine Keane is the brainchild behind Fashion Relief. After hearing about the hunger crisis in East Africa, she wanted to do something to help and approached us with the idea of holding a fashion fundraiser in support of our work worldwide. We wanted to create something for everyone, where everyone could bag a bargain from their favourite style icon, designer or boutique while doing something tangible to help people affected by hunger, poverty and disaster.

Lorraine felt we were the natural choice of partner because of our network of shops across the island of Ireland which means everything that’s not sold at the events goes directly to our shops to continue raising vital funds.

Why is Oxfam’s Fashion Relief talking about sustainable fashion?

Fashion Relief is part of Oxfam Ireland’s commitment to a fairer, more sustainable fashion industry. Textile production is the world’s second most polluting industry after oil, and it accounts for approximately 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. According to Re-dress, 225,000 tonnes of textiles are dumped in Ireland alone each year – that’s the equivalent of over five thousand 44 tonne lorry loads.  This is having a devastating impact on our planet – with some clothes taking up to 200 years to decompose.

Overproduction is also part of the problem. Shared Cloth published a report that states 20 items per person is produced every year (150 billion garments), and 30% of them are never sold. On top of that, cheap production and plummeting prices means the items we buy often end up in landfill before they should, while garment workers survive on low wages and often experience poor working conditions.

What exciting things can people look forward to?

Broadcaster Lorraine Keane, along with a host of Ireland’s favourite fashion and lifestyle personalities, will be attending the events. Attendees will also enjoy a free fashion show and get fashion advice and styling tips from leading Irish stylists and social influencers. There will also be a raffle, auction and hair and beauty stands.

This year we’re inviting people to join us on a journey to a more sustainable lifestyle, starting with the clothes we wear. We’re proud to be a solution to ‘throwaway fashion’ by reducing the amount of clothes and textiles that end up in landfill and giving pre-loved clothes a longer life. We also work with retailers, encouraging them to donate their end of line or excess stock to us instead of sending it to landfill – a more sustainable solution for people and planet.

We hope Fashion Relief will encourage conversations about throwaway fashion and what we as consumers can do to be more sustainable in our choices and mindset.

In addition, all profits from Fashion Relief will support our work with some of the world’s poorest communities – communities that are directly and adversely impacted by a climate crisis they did least to create.

What opportunities are on offer for those attending?

Both the Galway and Dublin Fashion Relief events will showcase rail after rail of premium pre-loved clothes and accessories starting at just €5, with donations from the stars and the public as well as brand-new items from designers and retailers across the nation. A host of Irish designer items will be on sale from Fee G, Caroline Kilkenny, Deborah Veale, Umit Kutluk and Heidi Higgins.

At each event, there will be a designer corner with pieces by all the high-end international fashion houses such as Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Roland Mouret, Chloe, Celine, Balenciaga, Chanel and so many more.

People may also be interested in volunteering at the events this year, or getting their company signed up to do a donation drive for Fashion Relief 2021. Fashion Relief is generously supported by the Irish business community from top to bottom. Companies across Ireland, from one-woman boutiques donating end of line stock, to large multinationals organising teams of volunteers and clothing donation drives at their offices, are lending their support.

To find out more you can email the Fashion relief team at [email protected].

What tips would you give to people attending to get the most out of it?

It is definitely worth buying your tickets in advance to skip queues on the day – and get in early. Wear comfortable shoes, preferably ones you can easily slip on and off while trying on potential new pairs! There are changing rooms to try things on so it’s also a good idea to wear an outfit that’s easily changed in and out of. If you’ve a special occasion coming up and are looking from some accessories, shoes or a hat, bring it along so you can find the perfect match from among the rails. Remember to bring a tote bag or backpack to carry your lucky finds – sustainability is the aim of the day.

How can people book tickets?

People can pre-book their tickets via Fashionrelief.ie or on TicketWeb.ie

1 March, Galway from 11.00am – 5.00pm | 28 – 29 March, The RDS, from 11.00am – 5.00pm

Anything else you’d like to add / we should have asked?

Every year we have a country focus for Fashion Relief to help raise awareness and inform people about some of the worst humanitarian crises of our times. This year, we want to let people know about the situation in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh – now the world’s largest refugee camp sheltering thousands of Rohingya people who fled Myanmar when violence broke out in 2017.

Oxfam is working in a number of ways to support Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazaar – we’re providing vital aid including clean water and food and so far, we’ve helped 360,000 people while also supporting 100,000 Rohingya in Myanmar with clean water and sanitation services.

We’re helping people stay healthy by installing water points, toilets and showers, and distributing soap and other essentials. We’ve recruited more than 600 Rohingya volunteers to help us reach other refugees with hygiene information, we’ve built the biggest-ever sewage plant in a refugee camp on site and our solar-powered water network provides safe water more effectively.

We have also provided 25,000 refugee households with vouchers that can be exchanged at local markets for fresh vegetables and ingredients. We’ve hired over 1,800 Bangladeshi locals to work on local construction projects including road repairs, schools and water sources and provided almost 400 local people with grants to start or expand their small businesses.

To help women feel safer after dark, we’ve installed more than 350 solar-powered streetlights around the camp and provided 20,000 torches and portable solar lanterns. We’ve also worked with women refugees to design more secure toilets and supplied them with fabric and vouchers so they can make or order clothes they feel more comfortable wearing in public.

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