Ghanaian classic fans are giving new life to waste Western clothes | Popgen Tech

Because the solar set on a transport container yard in Ghana’s capital Accra, younger women and men in Pink Floyd, Grateful Lifeless and tie-dye t-shirts traded in military surplus jackets and Adidas trainers whereas a reside DJ spun Afrobeat classics .

The Classic Gala, as its 23-year-old founders Prince Quist and James Eden Dow Darty referred to as it, introduced collectively a motion of younger classic lovers who oppose the worldwide quick trend trade by encouraging their friends to buy second-hand.

“If you put on garments that had been made at the moment … you are serving to the atmosphere by not utilizing the uncooked supplies and different issues it’s worthwhile to make new,” mentioned Quist, sitting in entrance of his and Darty’s sales space. on-line retailer, TT Classic Retailer.

“The concept is to encourage everybody to thrift classic, as a result of second-hand items will not be second-hand,” added Darty. “Shopping for classic makes recycling even higher.”

Ghana receives about 15 million gadgets of second-hand clothes each week from Western international locations and China, that are unloaded in bulk, usually at paltry costs and questionable high quality. In accordance with the US-based Or Basis, about 40% of this results in giant city landfills.

A lot of it passes by Kantamanta in Accra, one of many continent’s largest garment markets, the place bales of used clothes are bought relying on the anticipated high quality of the garments wrapped inside.

Just a few hours earlier than dawn, a number of instances per week, classic fans like Quist and Darty comb Kantamanto’s rivers of imported clothes for gems they’ll resell on Instagram pages with 1000’s of followers in Ghana and overseas.

They imagine that purchasing second-hand not solely helps cut back trend’s environmental influence, but in addition permits them and their prospects to precise a novel fashion that’s totally different from present traits.

Their message is straightforward: purchase secondhand, make a distinction.

“​​​​​​​Take away all notions that you simply solely put on classic once you’re poor, or that you simply solely put on thrift once you’re broke,” inventive Myra Davies mentioned exterior the Classic Gala occasion.

“It has been right here for a few years,” she mentioned. “Why go and produce extra when you might have greater than sufficient obtainable?”