It’s always sad to see a long-established London institution bite the dust – and Fenwick’s Bond Street store closure is no different. But after the historic department store officially shuts on February 3, its building isn’t set to sit empty. In fact, it’s going to be put to use for a good cause.
For two weeks from February 9, the Bond Street store, which sits on the same street as the likes of Armani, Dior, and Dolce & Gabbana, will be home to another pop-up by innovative charity shop department store project Charity Super.Mkt.
Charity Super.Mkt, which comprises five charities including Traid and Shelter, launched its first pop-up in Brent Cross early last year. Following the success of that project, it has since had stints in Bristol, Edinburgh, Oxford and, most recently, Salford.
And now Charity Super.Mkt is on its way to Bond Street. From February 9 to February 23, the former Fenwick building will become a ‘pre-loved’ department store, making use of old fittings and hangers from Fenwick and even including donations from designer brands. To top it all off, there’ll be DJ sets on weekends.
The brand is keen to emphasise that you shouldn’t turn up expecting hoards of vintage designer clothes. ‘It will be tailored as best we can [to Bond Street],’ said Wayne Hemingway, a former Red or Dead designer who helped curate the project.
‘We are on a mission to get charity fashion into spaces and places it hasn’t been before. Bond Street with all the big brands… is going to be a major experiment.’
So far, Charity Super.Mkt has raised nearly £1.6 million for various charities by selling over 180,000 items, saving roughly 53 tonnes of clothes from going to landfill.
The new owners of Fenwick’s Bond Street store, Lazari Investments, bought the building for £420 million and plan to turn it into a mixed office and retail space. Here’s to hoping the building can in the meantime raise tonnes of cash for some great causes!
While you’re here, why not have a look at our lists of the best charity shops in London, or all these ethical fashion stores across the city?
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