Meet the Manchester students making sustainable shopping more accessible online
Shopping sustainably isn’t easy on a student budget or when stores are frequently closing. But The Closet Manchester is changing things.
Established in 2015, The Closet is a student-led charity and clothing society that encourages people to think about the environmental impact before making a purchase.
While students are often seen as avid fast fashion consumers – filling their wardrobes with the latest trends and clubbing attire – they’re also a group that’s eager to disprove the stereotype.
Starting as a reinvention of the British charity shop, The Closet is a hybrid of a thrift shop and creative space for students to share their thoughts and showcase their creations – from artwork to film and fashion.
Ordinarily, the space would be hosting a variety of thrift sales with a mixture of vintage and donated clothing right now, but the pandemic has caused The Closet to get creative with their projects.
One of their main methods of reaching Manchester’s student population is through Instagram – sharing countless resources including how to upcycle clothing and sustainable fashion documentaries to watch.
The Closet also hosted a sustainable gift-wrapping online session before Christmas, showing people how to wrap presents using household items.
Currently, the founders are planning a panel in collaboration with Want Not Waste to raise more awareness about sustainability in the fashion and beauty industry.
“We are going to talk about sustainability, alongside having different perspectives from students on different courses across the university”, says the charity director, who is eager to portray how eco-friendly fashion can come in many forms.
The Closet is also dedicated to raising awareness of mental health issues in students, with all of their proceeds going towards Manchester Mind.
You can get involved with any of their online events by keeping up to date with The Closet’s Instagram and Facebook pages.