Are you the sustainable fashion queen of your crew?

There is a fantastic opportunity coming up for all you thrifty buyers! Are you a charity shop queen? Do you relish the hunt between the racks for that perfectly preserved vintage or that label-still-on cashmere? Then this could be the challenge for you.

Online charity shop Thriftify and Ireland’s top sustainable advocates “The Useless Project” have launched a nationwide search for ‘Ireland’s Top Sustainable Stylist’. This online pre-loved fashion competition is encouraging all slow fashion enthusiasts to get involved for the chance to win a trip to a charity shop warehouse where they will have access to countless incredible finds before they hit the shelves!

I know right? A throwback trendsetter’s dream!

This competition shows fashion fans that fashion needn’t cost the planet and that you can be stylish and sustainable by shopping pre-loved! This styling competition with the Useless Project, hopes to find the creme de la creme of Irish fashionistas to showcase their charity shop finds and whilst doing so, we are hoping to give a boost to all of the Irish charity shops on Thriftify which are presently closed due to the lockdown.

If show-stopping style makes your heart beat fast, but sustainability is also important to you, then The Thrift-Off might just be the spring awakening that you need to get your fashion fix.

Photo of Woman Near Clothes

This campaign aims to showcase all the fabulous finds that are available on Thriftify and get people shopping from Irish charities and buying pre-loved fashion. By entering, you will be supporting Irish charity shops and giving retailers a much-needed boost at a time when their stores are physically closed. 

Shopping on Thriftify.ie is the perfect way to get working on your Spring/Summer wardrobe without adding to landfill or increasing your carbon footprint. 93% of Irish charity shops have a presence on Thriftify.ie and there are some amazing bargains to be found on the site. Checkout is prompt and Thriftify posts your bargains directly to you in their biodegradable packaging.

Run in collaboration with The Useless Project (formerly Sustainable Fashion Dublin), the competition will be shared with lots of sustainable enthusiasts! Started by Geraldine Carton and Taz Kelleher in November 2018 and powered by energy, enthusiasm and positivity, the aim of this collective has been to bring like-minded individuals together and highlight the positive, accessible and pragmatic side to living a more sustainable lifestyle.

Assorted Cloth Lot

The Useless Project founders said; ‘We are looking for participants to have a bit of fun with this - to let those creative juices flow and really show off your personality with each ensemble! We would love to find people who know how to make clothes sing and stand out from a crowd; and who can find a preloved jewel amongst the rest of the bargains on Thriftify. 

‘We can’t wait to see our Instagram community get involved with the voting too as they are quite the discerning bunch! We’ll be showcasing the top contenders on our stories, so we will be letting the public have the final say on the top sustainable stylist, and of course the winner of the amazing charity shop warehouse adventure!’

selective focus photography of hanged clothes

Who can enter?

Anyone can enter! All you have to do is fill out a short application form here before March 1st and see if you’re successful. From there, 16 successful applicants will be chosen, with each contestant given a €50 budget to spend on Thriftify.ie.

Using the items bought, the sustainable stylists will put together X3 outfits which will be showcased on The Useless Project Instagram stories, where the co-founders Geraldine Carton and Taz Kelleher will open up a public vote, encouraging their audience of over 43,000 sustainability enthusiasts to vote for the best outfits every week over four weeks. After that, a winner will be chosen, winning themselves:

  • Cash prize of €100
  • A trip to a charity shop warehouse (once restrictions allow) with access to countless incredible finds before they hit the shelves
  • A personalised 15% off code for Thrifty.ie to share with their family and friends

assorted-color clothes hanged inside department store with lights turned on

Why is this such an important project?

Thriftify is charity shopping with a difference. Every year in the UK and Ireland, 150 billion items are donated to 15,000 charity shops. This includes books, clothes, furniture, electronics, jewellery, games, DVD’s and more. The volume is so high and the professionalism so low that charity shops are unable to effectively value these donations, they can only sell them in-store, they undervalue donations and end up paying for the disposal of valuable donations. This is where Thriftify comes in.

With shops using Thriftify, charity shops can scan any barcoded donation and Thriftify’s algorithm values the donation. Donations that can earn more online than in-store are listed as ‘Gems’.

Shallow Focus Photo of Clothing Rack

Thriftify lists the item on multiple e-commerce sites and manage all aspects of the e-commerce journey for the shop. Thriftify’s end-to-end solution solves; listing, merchandising, pricing, inventory and fulfilment automatically. Thriftify was founded in 2018 by sustainability advocate Rónán Ó Dálaigh as a platform for creating positive purchasing by connecting charity shops with consumers who care.

When you use Thriftify, you are acting sustainably by shopping pre-loved as well as supporting good causes.

Check out their Instagram page here and best of luck!

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