Poppy Rolt has turned a passion for style and sustainability into a series of regular events
Poppy is bringing vibrant second-hand style to venues across the city(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
A young woman is turning her passion for fashion into a community event, organising free clothes swaps across Liverpool. The Swap Shop has been running since December last year and allows attendees to exchange clothing without spending a penny.
Since it began, events have been held in some of Liverpool’s trendiest bars, markets and community spaces including SubRosa, Kazimier Gardens, the Baltic Market and Granby Winter Garden.
Organiser Poppy Rolt, 23, said: “I’ve been really lucky. [Venues have] been super interested. I guess it’s a mutual thing because it brings people in. Lots of people are really excited by the idea.”
Granby Winter Garden in Toxteth hosted the Swap Shop in March (Image: Poppy Rolt)
Poppy currently works 48-hour weeks as a carer including on nights, having graduated from Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in 2024. She runs the events for free in her own time, driven by a passion for style and sustainability.
Poppy said: “Clothes are also how I express myself. I love colourful clothes and mixing things and putting together a cool outfit. When I put together a cool outfit I like knowing that my mind created that. I think fashion can be a form of art.
“I’ve always loved second hand shopping and charity shopping. I went to a [clothes swap] event on Kitchen Street years ago but I haven’t seen many others since so I thought why not do it myself?”
Events are held roughly once a month and anyone looking to get involved can items to swap from jeans and jumpers, to jackets, accessories and tops. A maximum number of items is set per event with a usual limit of five or ten donations per person.
Swappers receive tokens to spend at the shop in exchange for their donations with larger items like jackets earning more tokens. Unused tokens can be spent at future events and for those without anything to drop off can purchase tokens for £2.
The Swap Shop has taken place at bars and markets across Liverpool (Image: Poppy Rolt)
Vintage items and sportswear brands like Patagonia and Kappa are among some of the top picks noted by Poppy although she stresses that brands and value aren’t a priority and anything in a wearable condition is more than welcome.
Poppy said: “A lot of people will donate new or really nice pieces. I think it’s such a good mentality because they aren’t thinking about what they can get out of it, they just want the items to go to a new home. We’ve always got so many jeans, bottoms and loads of tops”.
Poppy sorts through the clothes which she stores in her spare room. She markets the events online and social media support from each venue also helps to draw in eco-friendly fashionistas from across Liverpool.
Poppy, originally from Hampshire and now living near Sefton Park, said: “I feel like people are quite expressive in Liverpool with their clothes. I come from a small town and people think I dress quite out there but I don’t worry in Liverpool about people looking at me. People have unique styles.”
“I think that sustainable fashion is really important to people now. Fast fashion is crazy right now and people are trying to go against that.”
Poppy with one of the many pieces donated to the Swap Shop (Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
While the Swap Shop remains a passion project, Poppy hopes that it can scale up in the future.
She said: “I hope it will grow in size. It would be amazing if it could be a stand alone event like when you get huge kilo sales. It would be cool to have a swap shop on that level with racks and racks of clothing”.
The next Swap Shop event will be on May 4 at the Baltic Market from 12pm to 4pm.
More information can be found on Instagram @theswapshopx.