For cities & civic partners

Put circular fashion to work in public space.

A city doesn't need a new policy to begin. It needs a visible, repeatable format that residents join in with — and that gives your team something real to report.

Start with the brief: three engagement models, what GFX delivers and what we ask of a city.Request the brief

Why swaps, why public

A swap is a civic instrument that happens to be enjoyable.

It puts footfall into a high street, gives a cultural venue a participatory format, and gives residents a first, low-friction step into circular behaviour.

Because it happens in public, it is also visible: to funders, to local media, to the businesses around it. That visibility is usually what a city actually needs.

GFX has run this format indoors and outdoors, at museums, on high streets, in malls and conference venues, with municipal partners, business improvement districts, schools and fashion weeks.

Three ways to start.

Programmes are scoped with the partners already working in your city. These are the shapes we work in — the content of each is tailored, never templated.

A participant browses clothing at the GFX swap at the V&A in London

GFX clothing swap · V&A, London · 1 July 2018 · Photo: Bronac McNeill

A pilot public activation

One day. One public space. A proof point.

A single, well-produced swap in a square, market hall or plaza — the fastest way to show residents, councillors and local businesses that circular fashion can draw a crowd.

Concept and format designed for your site
Local partner coordination and volunteer briefing
Swap operations, curation and fitting support
Styling, repair or customisation station
Storytelling assets and an impact snapshot

Best for a first civic partnershipTypically 8–12 weeks from brief

Crowds browse the GFX clothing swap at the V&A in London

GFX clothing swap · V&A, London · 1 July 2018 · Photo: Bronac McNeill

A multi-event campaign

A season that builds habit, not just a headline.

A repeated series — weekly, monthly or across a festival period — with one identity and a growing local partner roster. Repetition is what turns a one-off event into behaviour change.

Programme design and series identity
Recurring operations plan and staffing model
Local designers, repairers and makers built in
Content series running across the campaign
Interim and closing impact reporting

Best for high streets, BIDs and cultural districtsTypically 4–6 months lead time

Young participant at the GFX clothing swap at the V&A in London

GFX clothing swap · V&A, London · 1 July 2018 · Photo: Bronac McNeill

An ongoing city program

Circularity embedded in the city's annual calendar.

A multi-year programme with an education strand, a training model for local operators and a standing calendar of activations — so the work continues without GFX in the room.

Multi-year programme and governance design
Schools and youth strand with partner delivery
Local operator training and toolkits
Year-round activation calendar
Annual impact reporting for funders

Best for city departments, foundations and districtsDesigned over 6+ months, then run annually

What GFX contributes

Everything between the idea and the record you can publish.

We can lead the whole programme or plug into a team you already have. Scope is agreed against what your city can resource.

Concept development

A format designed for your site, audience and policy goals.

Partner coordination

BIDs, museums, schools, waste authorities, retailers, sponsors.

Clothing swaps

Curation, intake and token systems that keep quality high.

Local designer participation

Stylists, makers and independent labels from your city.

Repair & customisation

Mending, alterations and upcycling stations at the event.

Youth & community engagement

School swaps, student crews and neighbourhood outreach.

Event production

Build, staffing, volunteering, schedules and site logistics.

Storytelling

Photography, film and editorial that travels beyond the day.

Impact reporting

Recirculated volume, participation and reach, written for funders.

“A vibrant downtown is a safe downtown. By creating a space for people to connect, share resources and celebrate sustainability, we're contributing to a more welcoming and lively downtown experience.”
Patrick Duffy — Founder, Global Fashion Exchange, on the Nicollet xChangeSource: May 2024 release

Tailored, not templated

Every programme is built with local partners — the organisations who already have the audience, the space or the trust. We don't arrive with a fixed concept and a logo file.

That is also why we ask for a partner map early: it changes the format, the schedule and what the programme can honestly claim at the end.

Request the brief

Start a partnership conversation.

Send a few details and we'll return the city partnership brief plus a short set of questions about your city, your timeline and the partners already at the table.

What happens next: A reply within five working days.
Prefer email?: patrick@globalfashionxchange.org

Want to see how it has worked elsewhere?

Our work Impact & method