Eco chic is sashaying into town with The Langham, Auckland hosting The Big Shwop event on Saturday 26 September. After three successful Big Shwops in the Wellington region, event organisers are bringing New Zealand’s largest clothes swapping event to Auckland, so that women have the opportunity to exchange and reuse clothes while still remaining the height of fashion. Sarah Hopkins of The Big Shwop said ‘shwopping’ brings people and their wardrobes together for an afternoon of shopping that is both sustainable and fun. “Shwopping is not about getting rid of worn out or dated clothes from the bottom of your wardrobe. It is about being brave and reusing the good quality, fashionable items you have, by exchanging them with other great clothes. We wish to encourage people to see new ways of updating their wardrobes without always having to consume more resources by buying new items,” Ms Hopkins said.
The Langham is delighted to host the event in support of sustainable living. The five-star hotel has led the hospitality industry in best environmental practice and recently gained silver certification from the internationally recognised Green Globe assessment body. The Langham was the first hotel in New Zealand to achieve the internationally benchmarked Green Globe award.
“The Big Shwop is an innovative, environmentally conscious event and we applaud the organisers Sarah Hopkins, Inga Boyd and Christine McGonigal for their initiative. We are very pleased to have The Big Shwop in town so that Auckland women can also enjoy this eco chic event,” Marketing and Communications Manager, Rachel Broadmore, said.
The Big Shwop formula is very simple. From 11am – 1pm, people bring along their unwanted, largely unworn quality clothes and exchange them for vouchers. From 1pm – 2pm, the clothes will be sorted and racked, and at 2pm the doors will open to a shwopping wonderland as shwoppers 'cash in' their vouchers for any of the other clothing on offer until 4pm. The website www.thebigshwop.co.nz has more information about the rules and etiquette of successful shwopping. The main event will be held in the Waitemata Ballroom of The Langham. After dropping off their clothes and before the start of The Big Swhop, shwoppers will have entry to the hotel’s SPE Bar and Restaurant where they will be treated to music, a glass of bio dynamic Momo wine and can also grab a light lunch if they wish.
“The Big Shwop organisers are pleased to have the support of not only The Langham, but also Momo vineyard which has supported the event from the outset,” Sarah Hopkins said. Fellow sponsors of the upcoming Auckland event also include ecostore and Trilogy Skincare.
Keen shwoppers should pre-register for the event by visiting the website www.thebigswhop.co.nz. Pre-registration is highly recommended to avoid disappointment on the day as the past three events in Wellington have sold out. Entrance is $10 on the door.
