Old clothes, new love: Cape Town’s vintage fashion week

Cape Town is set to host a week-long celebration of sustainable fashion and social impact this August, with Vintage with Love launching its expanded fundraising campaign, The Big Week. The initiative merges the organization's popular Big Sale and Big Show, transforming August into a platform showcasing how conscious fashion choices can lead to meaningful change.

The week kicks off on Thursday, August 20, with The Big Show at Beluga at the Cape Town Cruise Terminal. The event will feature a runway fashion show, live entertainment, food, a welcome drink, and a charity auction. Hosted in collaboration with Bridget Pickering from Ruff Tung/Therapy Boutique, The Big Show will highlight local brands, designers, and creatives working towards sustainability in the South African fashion industry.

Attendees will also engage in discussions surrounding the future of fashion while emphasizing the compatibility of style and sustainability.

From August 27 to 30, The Big Sale will take place at the Cape Town Cruise Terminal in the V&A Waterfront. Shoppers can expect thousands of pre-loved fashion pieces, each purchase contributing to the organization's charity work. The sale will open with an exclusive opening night on August 27 and continue daily until August 30.

Vintage with Love aims to demonstrate that small actions can have a significant impact, positioning second-hand fashion as a means to extend garment life and support social causes. The organization believes that individual donations and purchases, while seemingly small, can translate into substantial support for communities and educational initiatives.

Sustainability at the core of this event, The Big Week seeks to shift the perception of pre-loved clothing, portraying it as an opportunity to support social change through fashion. Tickets are currently available for various components of The Big Week, from The Big Show and The Big Sale's opening night to public shopping days.