HONOLULU (KHON2) — As viral has become more valued than vintage, the fast fashion industry has grown, and so has its waste.
This Saturday, Sept. 20, is the Aloha Vintage Exchange. An event where trends are trumped by the timeless, as vintage aloha wear is exchanged and celebrated.
“With fashion right now, oftentimes you wear something and you throw it away,” Kahi Pacarro, Director of Parley Hawai’i, said. “You’re ending up with all this waste and one of the crazy facts is that the fashion industry attributes more CO2 into our climate than the maritime and the air traffic.”
The only thing timeless about fast fashion is the carbon footprint it leaves behind.
Statistics show that in 2025, clothing items will be worn only seven to ten times before they get thrown away. 70% of those clothing items are made using synthetic fibers, which have been reported to contribute 35% of the microplastic pollution in our oceans.
“The goal is to have people understand the difference between quality and quantity,” Pacarro said. “Get people to cherish the quality and to shop at the thrift stores or the small boutiques that are selling reused wear,” Pacarro said.
This free event gives everyone a chance to swap styles and stories.
“So people show up, they bring an aloha vintage wear shirt or maybe it’s multiple,” Kahi said. “If you want to, you can put them on a rack to exchange. If something is a little bit more valuable to you, you hold on to it and you can start conversations with the individuals around and share what you have, tell the story of your outfit and exchange with them.” Pacarro said.
No clothes? No problem.
“Say you don’t have any aloha wear, run down to the thrift shop and buy a five-dollar Aloha shirt… And even if you don’t have something, just bring your Aloha spirit and that’s enough for us,” Pacarro said.
The event will be at the Coconut Club in the Twin Fin Hotel from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
If you are interested in attending, please visit the link to register. For more information on upcoming Parley Hawai’i events, visit the website.