Two Belfast men hoping to make the city the second hand capital of Europe are hosting their first pop-up shop this weekend.
Haru founders and former schoolfriends Jacques Hill and Sam Lynas have joined forces with designer Lucinda Graham for the event at Portview Trade Centre on the Newtownards Road.
It follows hot on the heels of their donation drive for refugees from Afghanistan which saw a lorry load of clothing and shoes donated through Care 4 Calais.
The ethical start-up also hopes to encourage more people to give second hand clothes a chance and reduce the carbon footprint of their wardrobes.
With that in mind a whole host of second hand, preloved and sustainable clothing and accessories will be up for grabs this weekend and what's even better is that some money goes to UK and Irish charities with every purchase.
Haru co-founder Sam Lynas told Belfast Live: "More than ever people want a sustainable choice when it comes to fashion. Consumers are increasingly recognising that pre-loved fashion is a sustainable, affordable and purposeful choice. It's no longer a stigma to wear second-hand, today people rightly wear pre-loved with pride. The pop-up shop will be a celebration of that."
While the figures are still being debated, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions every year and uses around 1.5 trillion litres of water annually - producing around 20% of wastewater.
Haru say they are working with around 115 charities to help second hand fashion overtake fast fashion.
Co-founder Jacques Hill added: "People are waking up to the damage fast fashion is having on our environment, many brands are recognising that they need to shift into more sustainable practices and the best answer we have is to simply reuse what is already there. That is our aim at Haru, to make it easy and enjoyable to shop second-hand."
A range of everyday and designer items will be available while visitors will also have exclusive access to the Sample Sale from Quiet Ceremony, a brand by sustainable designer Lucinda Graham.
Pop-up shop details:
Unit D5, Portview Trade Centre, 310 Newtownards Rd, Belfast BT4 1HE
- Sat 11 Sept, 9am - 5pm
- Sun 12 Sept, 1pm - 5pm
