LONDON — Selfridges is swinging the spotlight onto secondhand, charity shop clothing and accessories with the opening of a debut pop-up with Oxfam.
The pop-up, located on the second floor of the London store, near brands such as Miu Miu and Gucci, will be open for four weeks, with prices ranging from 3 pounds for a pair of sparkly earrings to 450 pounds for a vintage Jean Paul Gaultier suit.
Bay Garnett, the London-based editor and stylist, curated the shop and said it was crucial that it be located near the big luxury brands. “These clothes have all the elements of those from the big luxury brands — but at Oxfam prices,” Garnett said.
“I wanted to put them into perspective — and I wanted it to be fun. I don’t think it would have worked outside a luxury context,” added Garnett, who trawled through racks of pieces from Oxfam’s shops and vast sorting warehouse in North Yorkshire, England.
Oxfam, which was founded in Oxford and is now headquartered in Nairobi, is an umbrella group for a variety of charities seeking to alleviate global poverty. It is one of the largest retailers in the U.K. through its network of charity shops selling clothing, books and vinyl records.
The shop at Selfridges showcases a mix of accessories — including a boater hat and cool, worn-in cowboy boots, books and jewelry — and clothing such as a beaded, corseted dress, a printed A-line coat, a navy men’s jacket with gold military piping and an Ossie Clark dress.
The shop is part of Oxfam’s second annual secondhand September campaign, and also speaks to the new commitments made by Selfridges as part of its Project Earth sustainability initiative.
Selfridges said customers will be able to try on the clothes and accessories, which will be subject to the same hygiene standards as new items at the store. Items tried on but not purchased at Selfridges are cleaned and quarantined for 48 hours.