vivacity

Go on have the shirt off my back

By Andy Marks

At VivaCity we love to swap things, after all it is better to give and to receive. When it comes to swapping clothes, a combination of recession, the desire to reduce landfill and the lure of a great vintage piece means this a rapidly growing scene, variously known as clothes swapping parties, eco-glam soirees, swishing or even doing the swish.

Swishing.org (www.swishing.org/) have lots of events listed, whilst on meetup.com there are numerous groups running events and hoards of people wanting to start groups. One swisher described it as a bit of a free for all, suggesting competitive rummaging to find that gem is all part of the fun.

There are a variety of rules depending on where you swap. Some say bring at least one good quality, clean item of clothing, others say bring five, and the most we have seen is 10, so don’t be embarrassed to bring a suitcase. Recommending that clothes are ‘gently worn’ or something ‘you would feel proud to hand on’ is part of the quality control drive. Other events widen the net to include accessories and shoes, and for the swapaholics (www.meetup.com/swapaholics/) it seems anything goes long as it is ‘something a women would love’.

Which brings us to a bone of contention for some. Many clothes swapping events are women only affairs. Is it that men’s more uniform approach to style (think blue, grey, black and white), just doesn’t create the same level of excitement? Maybe it would be easier for men to find something as they simply aren’t as fussed what they wear.

vivacity spin-off movement for a cheerier future:

A huge increase in our ability to fix and customise our clothes - in these recessionary times haberdashery sales are up in department stores.

10 Jul 09

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why vivacity

This is the century of the city.

Over half the world’s population now live in cities. This is projected to rise to three-quarters of all people in 2050. With population increases, this means 6.75 billion of us will be city dwellers, an increase of 3.75 billion from today. As the future success or failure of mankind lies in cities, new ways of using them are needed.

The city represents an incredible paradox. We have never been closer together physically, but we have never been further away from each other emotionally. At vivacity we celebrate city movements around the world that change and re-define the way we interact with and use cities. Whilst cities cannot cope with the numbers now and the resultant strain on the world’s natural resources and eco-systems are already painfully evident, we believe that human spirit and endeavor will overcome, as it has done before.

vivacity promotes city movements that are connecting people & creating new types of communities. They are typically low impact, highly sociable, enabled by technology, using public and private spaces in new ways and empowering people to act locally.

vivacity promotes new ways of feeling alive, new ways of being invigorated, and new things to be a part of. We call it grassroots stuff in the city. We hope you get involved and share your experiences with us.

who we are

Andy Marks vivacity founder and editor

Social entrepreneur, lecturer, writer and curator, Andy Marks is an agent of positive social change practicing at the intersection or fault-line of business, society and culture. Andy is the founder of research and consultancy network Salad Worldwide, an advisor to some of the world’s leading companies on Corporate Responsibility and an advisor to a number of non-profit organizations. Andy is an expert on grass roots city movements, and a founding partner of an upcycling enterprise launching in 2010.

Julian Broadhead contributor

With a background in advertising, branding and corporate responsibility, Julian works with blue-chip companies from a wide range of industries and sectors, advising on strategy and new ways of connecting with people. He is currently developing a number of new opportunities in the environmental sector, with a particular emphasis on making environmental action more accessible.

Shane Solanki – contributor/distributor/carburettor/carbon-ara

Artist, writer, performer, producer and director, Shane’s first short film was commissioned by the BBC and directed by Peter Cattaneo. His first record was produced by Mercury Prize Winner Talvin Singh. He worked for years to forge the unique identity of independent record label Ninja Tune. We at Vivacity like to think of him as a grass roots detective, covertly operating under the pseudonym of the Last Mango in Paris; imagine him skulking around the world in a beige macintosh, recording and documenting our shift into a society where social responsibility and public creativity are norms.

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become a vivacity scout

As more and more of us live in urban areas, individuals and communities can feel overwhelmed and isolated by the sheer intense-city of it all.

However we at vivacity believe that human spirit and endeavor will overcome as it has done so many times before. That is why we are celebrating movements around the world that are changing and re-defining the way we interact with the city. We would like to hear from you about grassroots movements or activities that bring people together face to face and use cities in new ways. The more original and imaginative the better.

Please email us describing a movement you would like to see on vivacity using a maximum of 300 words. info@vivacity.me