Eco-fashion swap shop in Portlaoise goes from strength to strength
Courtney Murray, Donna Kearns, Laura Dunne, Rebecca Deegan, Caroline Craig, Gráinne Brereton, Emily Quinn, Heidi Higgins and Pauline Dunne pictured before the doors opened Photos: Stan Henderson
THE recent Clothes Swap and Sustainable Fashion event at the Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise was a great success, with ever-increasing numbers taking advantage of the eco-fashion initiative.
The first clothes-swap event took place in 2019, when Dunamaise artist-in-residence Rebecca Deegan and box-office manager Laura Dunne came up with the environmentally-friendly plan.
Since then, clothes-swap events have taken place on a regular basis. The imaginative event attracts many women and several men to each event.
The clothes swap works by people donating unwanted but good-quality clothing to the centre shortly before the event is scheduled. They receive a token for each item donated (with a limit of 20) and use the tokens to choose other items of clothing.
Heidi Higgins, well-known local fashion designer of colourful dresses and tops, attended the first of two planned clothes swaps for 2025. Ms Higgins is also a fashion tutor with LOETB and she brought along some of her students’ up-cycled fashion pieces to showcase them.
Also at the event was artist and designer Donna Kearns from Errill, who showed some of her unique boots and jackets.
Mo Brat Bhríde, which promotes the revival of the Brat Bhríde tradition by upcycling and customising scarves and shawls through traditional methods in relation to St Brigid also attended the event.
Event organiser Rebecca Deegan said she was delighted with the ever-growing response to the Clothes Swap and Sustainable Fashion events. She then went on to thank Laura Dunne, Pauline Dunne, Martina Lawless and the Dunamaise Arts Centre. She also wishes to thank Heidi Higgins, Donna Kearns, Mo Brat Bhríde, Caroline Craig and everyone who attended.
The next clothes swap is scheduled for the autumn.
