Turning Dreams to Seams: The Impact of Fashion Swapping

Sustainable fashion made fun.

By Team 3A: Reshanaa, Jing Yi, Charlotte

05 November 2024

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Mr Raye Padit, founder of The Fashion Pulpit, standing in the store surrounded by racks of pre-loved fashion, showcasing the sustainable fashion hub he helped create.  (PHOTO: Charlotte Varman)

"The future of fashion isn't about buying new, it's about rethinking what we already have." a vision that drove Mr Raye Padit, founder and visionary, to create The Fashion Pulpit, Singapore’s first clothing swap space, where style meets sustainability and waste becomes a thing of the past.

The Beginning

Mr Raye Padit founded  The Fashion Pulpit (TFP) to make sustainable fashion accessible in Singapore. TFP is Singapore’s first permanent space for clothing swaps, offering an alternative way for consumers to update their wardrobes that is guilt-free and eco-friendly. TFP grew from just temporary pop-ups to opening their very own permanent store at Jalan Besar. By encouraging consumers to extend the lifespan of fashion items, TFP promotes conscious consumption and reduces textile waste, acting as a unique alternative for trendy fashion that doesn’t cause further harm to the environment. 

The Fashion Pulpit’s clothing swapping concept was inspired by the common habit of swapping or sharing clothes with friends in day-to-day life. Mr Raye brought this concept to life through TFP. 

How Swapping Works

At TFP, members are encouraged to bring in pre-loved clothing and swap them for new pieces through flexible membership packages or an a la carte option. A point system rewards items based on their style, brand, and quality, allowing members to swap high-quality pieces that align with their tastes. By extending the life cycle of clothing, TFP promotes conscious consumption and actively reduces textile waste, creating a space where fashion enthusiasts can experiment with style in a more sustainable, community-centered way.

Today, TFP allows members to swap pre-loved clothing through flexible membership options or pay-as-you-go, with a point system.

Socially, TFP values their customer relations tremendously and they foster community engagement. With their consumer’s experience being one of their top priorities, all they have to do to be a swapper with TFP is to sign up for a subscription and once they’re  done, they can bring their clothes that are in good condition for TFP’s team to do quality checking to ensure everything is in good condition. 

Here’s where the unique part comes in, crafted by Raye and the TFP team themself, they implemented a point system where they will assess the brands and quality of the clothes that was brought in and from there, customers are able to pick an outfit from the store’s outlet that have the same price value as the clothes they brought in. That way, everyone gets to swap something they have, for another item of the same value that they take a liking too more.

Ecoswap corner where customer’s of The Fashion Pulpit customers can place the clothes they want to recycle into their curated bin and read up about how their shop emphasizes on eco-friendliness (PHOTO: How Jing Yi)

The Environmental Benefits

“We are saving up to 92% of emissions as compared to a company that produces new clothes.” Said Mr Raye, when highlighting The Fashion Pulpit’s swapping model and how it extends the lifespan of clothing while reducing the need for new garments and lowering the demand for natural resources. 

Being Singapore’s first and only dedicated space to swapping, upcycling, and sustainable fashion education, they help address the problem of excessive clothing waste and resource consumption. Globally, according to The Fashion Pulpit’s website, the fashion industry produces 92 million tons of solid waste each year, using 98 million tons of natural resources each year and significant greenhouse gas emissions, making initiatives like The Fashion Pulpit's crucial for reducing textile waste in Singapore.

From left to right: Adawia Bte Azman, intern; Raye Padit, founder; Felina Nguyen, brand strategist of The Fashion Pulpit

“Funny story, I first came across The Fashion Pulpit’s tiktok, Im not sure which Tiktok as it was awhile back but it was a video that went viral and I cant help but think to myself that “Oh my god this is so cool, the idea of swapping clothes.” Said Adawia Bte Azman who is a 21 year old LaSalle student who studies Creative Direction For Fashion and is currently an intern at The Fashion Pulpit.

Adawia, as a youth herself feels strongly that youth has the power to shape the future of fashion by supporting sustainable brands like The Fashion Pulpit. “By swapping instead of shopping, we're reducing waste, lowering our carbon footprint, and challenging fast fashion—all while adding unique, pre-loved pieces to our wardrobes. So, come shop until you drop with us to support and create a greener fashion industry!”

Senior Minister of State Dr Amy Khor said at the Be the Change Summit on 15 August 2024 that “With our increasing consumption and fast fashion habits contributing to environmental degradation, waste generation and carbon emissions, there is an urgency to create a closed-loop system where materials are continuously cycled back into the economy, reducing the need for resource extraction.”

Advocates of Sustainability

To support the whole idea surrounding fashion sustainability, we managed to get the Co-Founder, Miss Jasmine Tuan, from Cloop.Sg to show her support by providing her statements about the uprise in fashion and sustainability.

Cloop is a Singaporean initiative focused on reducing textile waste by collecting and recycling unwanted clothing. Through a network of collection bins across the island, Cloop encourages the public to drop off used clothes, which are then sorted for donation, upcycling, or recycling.

Local sustainability initiatives like TFP and Cloop have made notable strides in transforming Singapore's fashion scene. They provide more practical solutions for sustainable consumption compared to ‘traditional’ thrift stores.

TFP’s swapping model is an example of how sustainable practices can become part of everyday life. TFP makes it easy for people to refresh their wardrobes without contributing to the demand for new, environmentally harmful items.

A sign in The Fashion Pulpit (TFP) highlights the impact they have had in sustainable fashion, with over 500,000 pieces of clothing saved from landfills through their swapping and recycling initiatives. (PHOTO: Charlotte Varman)

Cloop further complements this by providing an outlet to recycle unwanted clothes in a sustainable way. The convenience further encourages the public to make the switch to recycling their clothes instead of simply throwing them away. This significantly reduces textile waste, and encourages a more circular approach to fashion, where clothes are reused, repurposed, and kept out of landfills.

Jasmine Tuan, who is the co-founder of Cloop.SG encourages all fashionistas to “take control over your own wardrobe by knowing who you are, don’t let fast fashion or micro styles influence what you wear. Don’t be a follower be a leader in your own style.”

These are amongst various other sustainability initiatives in Singapore that are driving a shift towards more responsible consumption.

This shift is particularly significant as younger generations take on the responsibility of shaping a sustainable future.

Building a Lasting Impact

As youths become more aware of the environmental challenges posed by the fashion industry, initiatives like TFP and Cloop empower them to make a tangible impact. The increasing prevalence of ‘clean’ fashion options allows youths to actively contribute to reducing waste and demand for new resources, fostering a culture of more mindful consumption.

Looking ahead, the long-term sustainability of initiatives like TFP and Cloop depends on several factors. One of which is the growing awareness of environmental issues, and the increasing pressure on industries to adopt sustainable practices. Without continuous public engagement and adaptability, these initiatives may struggle to maintain momentum in a fast-changing fashion landscape.

Thus, their future success will rely on how well they can grow and adapt, particularly by keeping young people engaged and finding new ways to make their services more accessible. As consumer habits continue to shift, these initiatives will need to evolve to stay relevant.

For example, incorporating technology or partnering with other eco-friendly brands could help sustain interest and make these services easier for everyone to access, ensuring they remain relevant in a rapidly shifting market.

Another challenge these initiatives might face would be competing with the convenience and low prices of fast fashion. For example, while TFP and Cloop make sustainable fashion easier to access, they still face strong competition from cheap, readily available clothing. These small initiatives face competition from bigger fast fashion brands that have normalised the cycle of constant consumption and disposal.

So, to really make a lasting impact, these initiatives will need to continue educating people and showing that sustainable options can be just as affordable and convenient, if not better, than fast fashion

Handmade backdrop comprising of materials TFP uses to rework clothing, representing their values and commitment to fashion sustainability. The backdrop, now on display for customers, was originally created for their brand launch. (PHOTO: Charlotte Varman)

Minister Grace Fu emphasized this at the launch of the Royal Golden Eagle by Nanyang Technological University (RGE-NTU) Sustainable Textile Research Centre, highlighting how “as individual consumers, we can also make a difference by choosing to buy products which are sustainably made, or carefully reviewing the need to buy a new piece of clothing.” 

For youths, the path forward is clear: making conscious decisions can have a lasting impact. Every small choice, like supporting clean fashion initiatives, or even thinking twice before buying something new, helps build a culture that values quality over quantity.

These small actions help gradually shift fashion norms toward more responsible consumption, encouraging a balance between personal style and mindful choices.