What started as a conversation between two fashion editors at the school gates has grown into one of the UK’s most stylish sustainable shopping events. Curated by Ciara Elliott, Fashion Re:Boot returns to Old Spitalfields Market this Friday 9th May from 6.30pm – 9.30pm, offering a night of pre-loved treasures, buzzy vibes, and serious style energy. In this interview, Ciara shares the story behind the now-iconic fashion car boot, how it became a movement, and why community—and cashmere—are always in style.
What inspired you to first launch Fashion Re:Boot, and how has the concept evolved since the beginning?
When fellow founder Erica Davies and myself met as fellow mums with same age children at the school gates, we hit it off immediately. Not only were the kids at school together, we had both moved out from London not long after each other and had both been fashion editors on newspapers – I was at The Sunday Tribune in Dublin and she was at The Sun. At that point I was still a magazine editor (I still am – I am currently acting edtior at IMAGE mag in Dublin) and she had become a blogger and influencer. When we started chatting ideas – and about how much we both had far too many clothes as well as a huge shopping habit – Erica told me of an idea she had done in South London, where her and two other bloggers had taken over a pub and sold their clothes. She had done it as an evening time thing, sort of as a cheeky mums night out. I loved that idea but had seen it (in Dublin) as more of a daytime thing with multiple sellers, and including lots of people from the fashion industry (who always have so many clothes, lets face it) So you could say that Fashion Re:Boot is a combination of both ideas – I was up for it being a bigger event which was more like a market place for everyone to sell, Erica added in the idea of doing in in the evening time and making more of an night out of it.
Fashion Re:Boot feels like a real celebration of slow fashion. What’s your secret to curating such a brilliant mix of sellers?
It is such a celebration of slow fashion and sustainable fashion and that is really what is at the heart of it and what makes it so interesting and different, every event we do. The reason it has gained so much popularity and traction is that not only is it a great place to buy and sell top quality clothes, which often don’t have much re-sale value online, it has also become a great platform for both networking, socialising and insta meet-ups. The curation of sellers has been really organic. Between myself and Erica we have a wonderful network. The reality is that when people come sell and realise that they can actually shift quite a lot of stuff and make good money, and when people come to buy and realise how incredible the merchandise is that they are getting, so everyone is happy.
Old Spitalfields Market has such a strong creative energy. How does hosting Fashion Re:Boot there elevate the experience?
We have hosted Fashion Reboot events everywhere from Nottingham to Brighton to Cheltenham to South and North suburban London, but Spitalfields is the first properly urban London location that I have done. So it attracts a new type of seller and buyer – someone who lives not so far away and can drag a rail locally or someone who can fit their wares into a suitcase and bring it into town. The real selling points here is that not only is it a wonderful market heritage market environment, we are also able to offer pitches with rails intact, which makes it so much easier for people selling. We also have a lot of people who work in retail and fashion who are attracted to the East London event who ordinarily maybe would not be travelling out of the city.
From bloggers to stylists, you bring together an amazing community. How important is that collaborative spirit to the event’s vibe?
Collaboration is so important and Fashion Reboot has been a brilliant way to meet new people and expand networks, and this not only goes for us but for all those who get involved. We started pre Vinted and I was a little concerned that people who not want to shop IRL when they can just put everything online, but turned out we had nothing to worry about! It feels everyone is a little bored shopping online and the reality is that we ALL love a good fashion-feel car boot! It must be in every fashion girlie’s DNA. Add some fizz into the mix and you’ve got yourselves the making of a great party.
Sustainability is clearly a huge part of Fashion Re:Boot. What advice would you give to shoppers who want to embrace slow fashion more consciously?
The obvious thing to say it to shop less and buy really good quality, but I think the reality is that we all love the thrill of a new thing and that feeling that we’ve chased down something we’ve been coveting, or that we’ve suddenly found the thing that makes everything else make sense in our wardrobes. I think this is why Fashion Re:boot feels so right, for right now. The circular, zero waste nature of Fashion Re:Boot means you can shop completely guilt-free!
Fashion Re:Boot is known for its lively, fun atmosphere. What can first-time visitors expect when they walk through the doors on 9th May?
The buzz! This is always what we hear after every event! It is fast, furious, fun and sociable edit of 30-40 sellers – who are often from the fashion or creative industries – and turns into three hours of pure shopping heaven. Influencers are rubbing shoulders with boutique owners and stylists and teenagers who love their labels, and nobody ever goes away empty handed.
You’re an editor, stylist, and event curator — how do these different creative roles influence the way you approach Fashion Re:Boot?
It’s funny because all of these roles feed into what Fashion Re:Boot is. I am a real people person but as life in a magazine has become so much less about the office and so much more remote, I always love getting out and meeting people behind their labels, instagram handles and desk jobs – there are so many brilliant, inspiring ladies in fashion and the media. In some ways you can get quite spoilt in the media world, but it turns out all we needed was a low-expectation, high delivering event where you can meet and rub shoulders with like-minded souls.
If you could style your dream outfit from Fashion Re:Boot in Shoreditch, what pre-loved pieces would you absolutely hope to find?
I know its the wrong season but I always look for great tailoring – like coats, blazers and jackets – as well as good cashmere and designer shoes such as quality loafers or barely worn trainers . I really love to try things on and these are items that I hate to buy online (I know you can send everything back but that doesn’t feel environmentally sound either!). Being almost summer, I will definitely look for trending pieces such as an event two-piece, a white boho skirt and maybe a pair of pedal pushers (do I dare? Will definitely need to try on before I say yes or no!).
