Vintage with Love expands its iconic Big Sale into a week-long celebration of pre-loved fashion, community and education
Cape Town is set to become the centre of South Africa’s sustainable fashion conversation this August as Vintage with Love launches The Big Week, a new chapter in its annual fundraising campaign combining pre-loved fashion with social impact.
The initiative brings together the organisation’s much-loved Big Sale and a brand-new Big Show, creating a week-long celebration aimed at showing how conscious fashion choices can contribute to meaningful change.
The Big Show will take place on Thursday, August 20, at Beluga at the Cape Town Cruise Terminal, followed by The Big Sale from August 27 to 30 at the Cape Town Cruise Terminal in the V&A Waterfront.
Vintage with Love’s Week-Long Event
Founded more than a decade ago by Leigh Ord and Jacquie Myburgh, Vintage with Love has grown from a community-driven initiative into a fundraising movement supporting literacy and education-focused charities across South Africa.
The organisation collects pre-loved clothing and gives the garments a second life, with proceeds from sales helping fund initiatives designed to create educational opportunities and improve literacy.
According to Taylea du Toit, Senior Marketing Manager at Vintage with Love, the idea behind The Big Week is rooted in the belief that seemingly small actions can create a much larger impact.
“This year, we wanted to take something big that we’ve been doing for years and make it even bigger,” said du Toit.
The organisation hopes the expanded event will bring together shoppers, volunteers, donors, partners and supporters around a shared commitment to sustainable fashion and social change.
For Vintage with Love, sustainability goes beyond reducing textile waste. By keeping clothing in circulation for longer, the initiative encourages consumers to reconsider how they shop while simultaneously generating funds for literacy and education programmes.
Fashion with a purpose
The first major event of The Big Week, The Big Show, will combine fashion, entertainment and fundraising.
Taking place from 6pm on August 20, the event will feature a runway fashion show, live entertainment, food, a welcome drink and a charity auction. It has been created in partnership with Bridget Pickering from Ruff Tung/Therapy Boutique and will showcase local brands, designers and creatives working to push sustainability forward within the South African fashion industry.
The Big Show is also intended to create space for conversations about the future of fashion while highlighting local talent and demonstrating that style and sustainability can exist side by side.
The second chapter of the initiative will be The Big Sale, which returns for its annual shopping experience at the Cape Town Cruise Terminal.
Shoppers can expect thousands of pre-loved fashion pieces, with every purchase contributing towards Vintage with Love’s charitable work. The sale will open with an exclusive opening night on August 27 before continuing from August 28 to 30.
Tracey Butler, Managing Director of Vintage with Love, says The Big Week is ultimately about celebrating the community that has supported the organisation’s work over the years.
“It’s a celebration of the community, generosity and shared purpose that make this work possible, and our biggest opportunity yet to raise funds for the causes we care about,” she said.
Debbie Smarts, Head of Fundraising at Vintage with Love, says the significance of the event extends beyond what happens on the shop floor.
“Every item donated, every ticket purchased and every garment sold helps fund literacy and education programmes that change lives,” said Smarts.
The organisation believes that an individual donation or purchase may seem small, but when thousands of people participate, those contributions can translate into tangible support for communities and educational initiatives.
A different way to shop
The Big Week arrives at a time when conversations around conscious consumption and the environmental impact of fashion are becoming increasingly important.
Rather than viewing pre-loved clothing simply as an affordable alternative to buying new, Vintage with Love positions second-hand fashion as an opportunity to extend the life of garments while supporting a social cause.
This year’s expanded programme aims to make that message more visible by bringing fashion, fundraising and community together under one platform.
Tickets for The Big Week are currently available, with options ranging from access to The Big Show and its runway experience to The Big Sale’s opening night and public shopping days. The Big Show ticket is priced at R750, while Big Sale tickets are R50 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
For those looking for an alternative way to engage with fashion, one that gives clothing another life while helping create opportunities for others The Big Week offers a chance to shop with a purpose.
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