26 Nov 2024
A St Albans-based personal stylist curated a preloved fashion show raising funds for a local hospice.
Alex Standley of Luxe Leopard Lifestyle presented the event at Pendley Manor Hotel in collaboration with Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care.
Over 40 individual outfits showcased on the evening had been sourced from Rennie Grove Peace charity shops or from the organisation’s eBay store, and were modelled by staff, volunteers and supporters.
Alex said afterwards: “I love changing perceptions on what it means to shop second-hand, and in particular, from charity shops. It’s an important part of my mission to bring the fun back into style, as eco anxiety and creating more conscious consumption habits can feel heavy and overwhelming. This event enabled us to showcase to the audience not only the fact that you can find relevant, trend-led pieces in your local charity shop but also how much fun you can have putting together pre-loved looks.”
Emma Thompson, director of marketing at Rennie Grove Peace, was a co-creator of the event: “As a charity, the income generated through our shops is absolutely vital to delivering our hospice care services. With donations from ticket sales, raffle tickets plus purchases of items straight off the catwalk via a ‘pop-up shop’ after the show, we raised over £3,000 and also received 45 bags of donations for our shops from guests who were invited to bring a bag of clothes to donate on the night.
“We also raised awareness and encouraged people to visit their local Rennie Grove Peace shop regularly to see what else they can pick up and how their clothes shopping can make a difference in our local community.”
