This is what it's all about ...
You can find the video above with english subtitles here:
https://youtu.be/SGfrjBEdqi0?si=vZ95Nk_lkHdpwNZl
The fashion industry is one that particularly exploits women and people of colour on many levels and is one of the most polluting industries in the world: «Global textile production alone today emits between 1200 and 1715 million tonnes of CO2 annually. - More than air travel and shipping combined.» Water bodies are polluted during production and far too much is produced. Old clothes are so abundant and end up in deserts where they pollute the environment for centuries.
But what can we do about it? It is quite simple, namely use what is already available and don’t buy new! This is exactly what we at Walk-in Closet are creating the structure for! For twelve years now, we have been passionately committed to sustainable consumption alternatives that are open to people of all social and cultural backgrounds and send a clear signal for more sustainability and social justice. We do this by offering various opportunities to swap clothes. We also educate people about the fast fashion industry and create a community for exchange.
We are a committed and intergenerational network and offer a consumption alternative that many people can easily integrate into their everyday lives and that everyone can afford. Our volunteers mainly identify as women and we coordinators are also an all-women team. So our project is by women for women - and anyone who wants to use clothes more sustainably. We are open to people of all genders and welcome them to join us!
In the last few years, we have made great progress and grown more and more. We now organise around 40 clothing swaps a year with our volunteers all over Switzerland. We have established a Walk-in Closet online swap shop and are professionalising ourselves at all levels. And it is precisely to maintain this commitment that we need your help!
Why our project is special ...
We are the largest non-profit organisation in Switzerland that actively campaigns for a more sustainable and fairer fashion world with clothing swap exchanges. With our clothing swaps - offline and online - we offer a concrete alternative to fast fashion. Our mission is to promote voluntary engagement, facilitate encounters and create positive change in the fashion industry through awareness-raising work.
What makes us special is the fact that people from all social classes can benefit from our offer. Week after week, we receive requests from people who want to get involved with us. In 2021, we launched the first and only online clothing swap shop in Switzerland. With this offer, we enable people to swap clothes independently of events and thus offer a direct alternative to fast fashion online shops like Zalando, Shein and Co. Walk-in Closet Switzerland stands for inclusion instead of isolation and deliberately enables people with low incomes to dress sustainably and fashionably.
And here’s the best part: You can be part of this movement and make a decisive contribution to a green and socially just future by supporting us.
For this we need your support ...
So far, some foundations have supported us financially, but many grants will expire at the end of the year.
In 2024, we still need CHF 25,000 to maintain our services. More than 450 volunteers count on us! For the past 12 years, more and more clothes swappers have been visiting us every year. Last year, 4000 visitors came to see us and 20,000 items of clothing were given a new life. In addition, we inform about the problems in the fashion world and put pressure on fashion companies.
We will use the money from crowdfunding to fill the gap until we can finance ourselves and find new foundation and sponsor partnerships. This will ensure that our important work can continue on an ongoing basis. Your support makes it possible to sustain Walk-in Closet Switzerland and allow our strong growth. Thanks to you, we can continue to support our many volunteers, set up more locations for clothing swaps, reach even more people, give even more clothes another life and become financially independent in the long term.
In addition to personnel costs, we also need the money to continue to cover IT costs, room costs, etc. Unfortunately, some locations are not yet self-financed and until now, foundations have filled this gap.
Thanks to you and with you, we stand together for a sustainable future. We don’t just talk about it - we take action and establish alternatives that are indispensable for a sustainable tomorrow. Your support is invaluable and will have a direct and lasting impact on our work.
