Sustainability never looked so good!

Second-hand fashion, first class looks!

Staff and supporters were among the models taking to the catwalk for our charity fashion show on Friday night (7 June 2024).  

The Preloved Fashion Show, at The Alban Arena, was a collaboration between Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care, Luxe Leopard Lifestyle and Sustainable St Albans, to launch its Sustainability Festival Expo 2024. All 32 individual outfits showcased on the evening had been sourced from our charity shops in St Albans and Harpenden, or our eBay shop, by personal stylist, Alex Standley of Luxe Leopard Lifestyle.  

The outfits were modelled by people who all had a connection to Rennie Grove Peace – from staff and supporters to four members of the family of a former patient.  

Kate Shopper has been fundraising for us since her father, Howard, was cared for by our Hospice at Home nursing team towards the end of his life. After being approached about modelling in the show, Kate spoke to her mum, Joan, sister, Andrea, and niece, Noa, who all agreed to take part.  

As well as modelling a range of complete outfits each on the catwalk, the three generations shared a moving speech about the difference the community hospice at home team had made to them all. Kate explained: 

“On the night my mum shared her story – for the very first time – of how invaluable Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care was when Dad was ill, and mum was struggling to cope. And they continue to be nothing less than fabulous.  

“‘I want to step out of my comfort zone more often’ is something I promised myself a few months ago. And if I’m doing it, then it seems only fair to rope the rest of the family in too, and even better if we can give something back to the community at the same time!” 

After the event Personal Stylist, Alex Standley of Luxe Leopard Lifestyle, commented:

“I love changing perceptions on what it means to shop second-hand, and in particular, from charity shops. 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 important donations and money raised from clothing is to charities, through sharing a family’s story.

“It’s also 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. Many audience members commented on how much fun and how inspiring the event was.”

Emma Thompson, our Director of Marketing, was a co-creator of the event. She said:  

“SustFestExpo is a great chance to celebrate the joys of sourcing preloved clothing and its role in sustainable fashion. As a charity, the income generated through our shops helps fund vital services in the local area. Working with Alex allowed us to showcase the versatile, stylish and timeless outfits that can be created on a budget from our shops in a way that is both sustainable and fun.  

“With a donation from ticket sales, plus a ‘pop-up shop’ selling all of the outfits from the catwalk after the show, we raised over £1,000 in just 30 minutes! We also hope to have 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.”