BYT: A Clothes Swapping Concept

For my Design & Business Exam at KEA CDM, the theme was entrepreneurship and innovation. The concept had to be related to fashion and lifestyle, and had to tap into a proven need and / or pain from the chosen target demographic. Therefore, I chose to create an environmentally conscious clothes swapping concept, aimed primarily at 18 – 39 year old women in Copenhagen.

The concept of BYT

The clothing industry is one of the most polluting industries of all time, and it’s accountable for 10% of the global CO2 emissions. The clothing consumption of Danes has also skyrocketed with 20% in comparison to the year 2000. Acording to Statistics Denmark, the average Danish woman spend about 5.000 DKK on clothing in 2017, which is double the amount of their male counterparts. 
 
Clothing companies thrive on selling consumers new trends multiple times a year. Every season has new cuts and colours, which makes consumers want to change their wardrobe. 75% of Danes reckon that they have too many items that they never use in their closet. So, how can we lessen the environmental damage of clothing production, while still letting people follow trends?
 
Second hand shops, of course! But research conducted for this assignment shows that many consumers have several negative assumptions about recycled clothes. There were major concerns about the selection, condition and smell of the clothing:

"I think it's granny clothes that smells like a basement."

"Second hand stores are overwhelming, and it's hard finding clothes in larger sizes."

"The condition of the clothing, the intended age group, the smell."

Participants from the online survey about second hand clothing
This is how BYT came about. Download the app, sign up for the next swapping event, and hand in your own used clothes. One piece of clothing equals one coupon, that is in turn used at the event to purchase the new, second hand clothes of other swappers. The entrance fee of 50,00 DKK ensures that the event is nicely curated, with no messy piles of clothing without tags. The clothes would also go through quality assurance beforehand, to make sure that there are no smelly, out worn clothes at the event.