Clothing exchange the latest trend

Former WHS student Emily Kara (middle) hosted her first clothing library in March at Frank Bar alongside her friends Krystal Simpson (left) and former WHS student Danielle Mallasch.
Photo / Supplied

A fashion library could be the newest trend in Whanganui as one local woman puts her ethical fashion journey to work.

After five years of planning, Emily Kara has created the Eko Collective, a pop-up clothing exchange with the aim to educate and help locals to be more ethical with their fashion choices.

The single mum of two realised she had too many clothes and after hearing about the fashion industry's carbon footprint she was driven to make a difference.

"I heard of other people doing clothing swaps and I thought that could be my way of getting that CO2 down," she said.

"From that, I wanted to make a chain reaction."

With a background in training and teaching Muay Thai, she put her plans of starting her own gym and moving to Auckland on hold in order to create the library she believed would benefit the youth of Whanganui.

"My main focus is on youth. I want to show them this carbon footprint is ruining their future and their world," she said.

Kara attended a meeting at Thrive Whanganui where she met chairwoman Sharon Bryant who was keen to support her idea.

Both travelled to Hamilton recently to visit Carousel Clothing Library and for Kara it was the final push she needed to create her own social initiative.

"It's more than a library, it's a social enterprise that stops clothes going into landfills and we can remake so much from it," she said.

Members are able to sign up to the library by paying a $10 monthly membership fee.

They are also welcome to bring their pre-loved clothes along to swap with others and return to a pop-up every month to swap and loan out clothes.

In time she hopes to run workshops with youth and make clothing accessories and fighting gear for Muay Thai out of leftover materials.

Kara is currently working on an online loan out system she hopes to have up and running by the end of June.

Her first pop-up library was launched on March 31 at Frank Bar on a Sunday afternoon by her and three friends.

"I gained a 100 per cent success rate. Everyone loved it and I gained a lot of interest," Kara said.

"It was a great way to get myself out there and for people to understand why I was doing it."

Plumber Dan helped her make racks for the clothes out of a pipe and with her uncle being the manager of Frank Bar she has been able to secure a venue where she can also store the clothes.

On June 30 Kara will host her next clothing library where anyone can come along and register to get involved.

For more information visit ekocollective.co.nz

By Lucy Drake
Whanganui Chronicle 8/6/19