Fashion entrepreneurs in UK are developing different ways of helping garment workers during the pandemic. Edinburgh-based Cally Russell has set up the Lost Stock initiative, which sells garments from orders cancelled by UK fashion retailers by purchasing garments directly from manufacturers in Bangladesh. A Lost Stock box of clothes costs £39. Almost a third of it is donated to the Sajida Foundation, which gives food and hygiene parcels to Bangladeshis struggling due to the pandemic. For maximum transparency, Lost Stock also provides a price breakdown that outlines the costs to the manufacturer, the charity and the initiative itself.

Some fashion marketers are also encouraging brands to adopt a cool-to-care ethos as seen with the UK’s weekly clapping for key workers. Businesses in numerous sectors are already focusing their marketing message on supporting NHS workers to capitalise on this spirit of collective solidarity. Fashion marketers are also channeling people’s desire for self-gratification towards buying clothes that contribute to the social good. For example, TOMS (Tomorrow’s Shoes) donates a pair of shoes to the needy for each of its pair sold.

On the other hand, Snag Tights, supports NHS frontline workers with a free pair of tights for every order placed. Another emerging trend is of swapping clothes. London Fashion Week hosted a fashion swap shop in February for the first time. Similarly, the flagship Selfridges store on London’s Oxford Street began selling second-hand luxury fashion and high-end brands with resale site Vestiaire Collective in 2019.

There has also been a rise in fashion libraries that rent fashion garments and accessories, allowing consumers affordable access to higher quality and luxury items. Fashion retailers could move in this direction, while also supporting customers by hosting workshops for upcycling garments into something new.