The sustainability sirens of EcoDrive team up with fashion platform Vestiaire Collective for a charity sale
This September, online retailer Vestiaire Collective is partnering with EcoDrive, the Hong Kong-based non-profit fighting single-use plastics, to launch Sustainable September, an online charity sale of “seasonless” pieces donated by EcoDrive’s founders. From Celine biker jackets to Jacquemus skirts and Gianvito Rossi laceup boots, the items serve as a time capsule of the women’s favourite fashion moments and encourage others to invest in second-hand clothing to create a more eco-conscious wardrobe. All sales from Sustainable September until December 1 will be donated to the foundation to further its cause. Also supporting the campaign is PAKT, the wardrobe management platform, who have helped to facilitate the listing process, and are looking after the clothes throughout the duration of the campaign.
EcoDrive was founded in Hong Kong in 2018 by ten women determined to fight plastic pollution. Yolanda Choy-Tang, founder of Central Weddings and the Private Wine Company, decided to dedicate herself to the cause after watching A Plastic Ocean, a documentary directed by Tatler’s April issue cover star, Craig Leeson. “A lightbulb went off when the global chief culture officer at Education First, Ming Chen, invited me to her office for a screening. I realised then that every single piece of plastic I had ever used, including nappies, disposable forks and coffee cups, was probably still on Earth today, either in landfills or in our oceans,” she says.
See also: 25 Ways To Go Green In Hong Kong
Emily Lam-Ho, CEO and founder of impact investment firm Empact28, had a similar awakening when she became a mother. “I knew I wanted to do more because it dawned on me the kind of planet we are leaving behind for the next generation. Like every first-time parent, I was frantically researching every single thing I used on my child, and the more research I did, the more I knew I needed to do something,” says Lam-Ho.
Hyper-aware of their environmental footprints, the co-founders have long been devotees of pre-loved fashion. Tansy Lau-Tom, who used to work in fashion branding, remembers scouring vintage shops in Toronto as a youngster, while PR maven Laura Derry-Southwood and Super Bullet Pictures co-founder Cissy Wang both regularly wear pieces made from recycled materials. For Lam-Ho, pre-loved fashion is a family affair. “For both my babies, the first outfits they wore were my husband Kent’s old baby clothes,” she says.
Visit ecodrivehk.com for more information, and vestiairecollective.com to shop the Sustainable September initiative.
See also: 5 Ways To Give Back In Hong Kong
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