#Oxclusive Oxfam Sustainable Fashion Event

Ever wondered what happens to your clothes after you've dropped them off at Oxfam? Last week I had the chance to find out. Situated in Batley, Oxfam have a HUGE warehouse where clothing magic happens. On a huge conveyor belt, 25 grades of stock are sorted on a daily basis. Items which have been donated in clothing bins and unsold items from charity shops are separated. Between 9 - 12 tonnes of handbags and shoes are sorted each week alongside separating out vintage and on-trend clothing for the Oxfam shop and creating bales of clothing to sell to ethical clothing traders in Africa. It's fair to say no other charity sorts your second-hand clothing like Oxfam does.

Oxfam is all about sustainable living and squeezes every penny out of each donation; nothing goes into landfill. 

I can't even begin to describe the sheer scale of the operation.

After a tour of the warehouse we were treated to a fashion show showcasing all the awesome stock which the online shop sells. The fashion show ratcheted up an impressive trend round-up including denim and 1970's glamour which are all hanging out on a high street near you as we speak.

Suede? TICK. Fringing? TICK. That's 2 key new season trends right there!

Place your pre-conceptions at the door - just because it is a second-hand shop doesn't mean the stock isn't bang-on-trend. 

I spotted Whistles shoes and clothing amongst the stock plus we all recognise these red soles don't we....

One thing that really impressed me was the grass roots customer segregation which Oxfam has completely nailed. They have a dedicated festival shop which tours the country visiting Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds and Bestival to name a few. They also have a stall at the Clothes Show. The stock is rotated and customised for the specific festival they are at - talk about customer segmentation! Savvy!

Follow the team from the online shop over on twitter @OxfamOnlineBTLY and check out the Oxfam Online Shop by clicking here.