Words by Bryony Moore and photographs by Jon Paul Lees
Fashion fans, if you’ve not visited Stitched Up HQ yet, get down there!
The new venue in Chorlton has something for everybody who’s into making, mending and style – all with a side order of sustainability.
The non-profit cooperative are on a mission to inspire us to be more creative with what we wear. From their HQ they run workshops and social events, as well as their shop, which has a range of ethical and locally-made clothing and accessories, a reclaimed haberdashery (or ‘Shaberdashery’ as they call it) plus a sewing café where you can hire a machine by the hour.
Last week they held their first clothes swap.
The Stitched Up swap, or ‘swish’ as it’s also known, has a quality-over-quantity ethos, with each person limited to bringing six garments. You can then take up to six garments home with you.Swappers get a loyalty card, so if you don’t find six things you like, you can use your ‘credits’ at the next swap.There’s also a simple classification system – designer and vintage, then everything else – the idea being that you swap like for like, so you can’t swap a holey Primark t-shirt for a Gucci dress, which seems fair enough to me!If the turnout for the first swap was anything to go by, this event is set to become a staple of any clothes horse’s calendar – the swaps will be happening monthly, with special events just for swapping men’s and kids’ clothes planed in too.The next event will be held on Saturday 22nd February. Get your tickets early, as demand is expected to be high!
The Stitched Up cooperative is guided by a strong set of principles – they believe there’s an alternative to high-street fashion – and it’s cheaper, more fun, and more rewarding than buying off-the-peg.I don’t know about you but I can’t wait to get stuck in!
Bryony Moore studied Art at MMU. A lover of bikes and sustainable clothing, read her blog www.bryonymoore.com and follow her on Twitter @bryonymoore
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