A “No Buy Challenge”, a “Buy Nothing New Challenge” and the “most sustainable piece of clothing is already hanging in your closet”. These popular challenges and statements make us believe that sustainable fashion is the equivalent of not being allowed to buy anything anymore. With a new strategy, online platform, and the documentary A Tool for Change, the Sustainable Fashion Gift Card wants to put an end to this forged image.
After three years of experience in the gift card and sustainable fashion market, the Sustainable Fashion Gift Card (SFGC) is now taking a new direction as the message that sustainable fashion is so much more than stopping buying (new) clothes will be the common thread in all future communication.
The starting point for this was given today with the launch of A Tool for Change. A 23-minute documentary in which you get to know nine brands that are affiliated with the gift card. They all make an impact in their own way, from shop to clothing rental, from brand to repair café, and more. The documentary is a collaboration with Chanel Trapman, filmmaker and founder of campaign agency MUMSTER, the nine brands affiliated with the gift card, and sustainable influencers such as Sara Dubbeldam, known for When Sara Smiles, and Elize Been, green model and founder of the first green model agency Belle & Co.
The documentary is now available for everyone to see on YouTube. Aside from the documentary, an in-depth talk with a wide audience will take place on September 2nd during Amsterdam Fashion Week. Klick here to find out how to sign up!
Improved online platform
Whereas the traditional fashion industry mainly focuses on producing and selling a lot of new clothing, sustainable fashion is much more diverse. In addition to selling new, responsibly produced clothing, it also offers countless other options: second-hand, but also borrowing, exchanging, buying and selling clothes yourself; making, repairing, and much more. The idea behind the SFGC has always been to introduce people to all these different options and the entrepreneurs behind these initiatives.
Over the past three years, Hogervorst has encountered that this vision of the online gift card platform was not clearly communicated. Partly plagued by the image of regular gift cards, it was almost standard practice that the SFGC only allows you to buy sustainable fashion, while the affiliated entrepreneurs represent all these different options. The new gift card platform therefore has two calls to actions on the homepage: one to our brands and one to our gift card. On the brand page, you will find a list of all the options sustainable fashion offers. It is up to people themselves to determine which option(s) appeals to them the most.
By positioning brands centrally on the homepage, the website becomes more relevant for people who do not have a gift card, but who still end up on the website in their search for sustainable fashion. Even though the SFGC is a gift card, the gift card itself is not the goal but a mere tool to positively inspire people with sustainable fashion and to encourage them to make a conscious choice.
New strategy
By changing the business model behind the gift card, the new strategy will create more room in the new strategy to make sustainable fashion and lifestyle brands more visible to a wider audience in addition to the gift card. The new strategy will be launched in October.
