Luxury goods sale for a cause

Remember that Ralph Lauren convertible lace dress you saw the other day at the mall? Or that pair of perfectly tailored Armani trousers you’ve always wanted but could never afford? What if someone told you that you could pick up both for a steal and also do some charity in the process? 

And no, these are not replicas or defective pieces, but rather original ones, as good as new. For the uninitiated, this is what happens at a thrift store, a shop selling second-hand clothes and household goods, typically to raise funds for charity. 

While the concept has been in existence for a long time now in the West, it is slowly making inroads in the country. Bringing the same to the city is yoga teacher, entrepreneur and cycling enthusiast Gayathre Rajam, who will be holding the fourth edition of Giving Back from the Heart, a sale with a purpose. 

“I come from a business family and we had quite a lot of social events to attend even as 20-year-olds. I would normally buy designer clothes and sarees for every event and not repeat any of my outfits at these dos. So, overtime, I ended up with a lot of very good quality clothes lying in my cupboard in good condition. I realised that there were so many men and women who were in the same position as me, with so many brandnew clothes in their cupboards, that they would never wear again. 

Also, I reckon it is almost a fashion crime to repeat a dress thrice for parties and public events, especially for actors and actresses. That’s when I thought about the idea of a thrift store,” says Gayathre who kickstarted the initiative in 2012. 

“I shared the idea with my friends and to my pleasant surprise the contributions were very generous,” she adds. This year’s event will have tops, dresses and pants from international brands like Zara, Forever 21, Armani, Ralph Lauren, Ritu Kumar, Mango, Chemistry, Top shop and more. 

There are also accessories like sunglasses, bags, household articles and more, some of which have also been used by Kollywood celebrities. Buyers can get their hands on these products at less than one tenth of their original prices. 

“We ask our contributors to send only products in good condition. We also ask them to wash or dry clean the clothes before sending it over. We inspect thoroughly and remove any faded, stained or torn items,” adds Gayathre. 

The proceeds of the event will go to Aim for Seva, an organisation by Swami Dayananda Saraswathi working towards the education of children in rural India. Speaking about the growing acceptance for the concept, she says, “Chennai definitely has a large heart. People buy generously and contribute generously as they know it is a 100 per cent charity sale. We are getting more brands now in perfect condition. The response has been growing manifold over the years.”