Falling for a runway look doesn't mean you have to buy the whole outfit. Adelaide Fashion Week (ADL Fashion Week), held from October 7 to 11, 2025, features more than 30 events across Adelaide and North Adelaide. Beyond runway shows, dining collaborations, and parties, it also includes several workshops and hands-on experiences exploring sustainable ways to dress. Olivia Davies, founder of the vintage and second-hand clothing store Thrifty Gal on Grenfell Street, is taking part in three of the events, sharing how to find personal style through second-hand and remade garments.

Key Points

  • ADL Fashion Week 2025 runs October 7–11, with more than 30 events, including 3 sustainable fashion workshops featuring Thrifty Gal owner Olivia Davies.
  • Recycling company Upparel estimates that Australians buy about 27 kg of new clothes and discard about 23 kg per year, most of which could still be worn or at least kept out of landfill.
  • A study funded by Green Industries SA (GISA) surveyed 591 South Australians and showed that repaired garments are expected to last about 2.5 years longer than unrepaired ones; the agency's two "Set your clothes free" events in 2025 collected a total of 42.4 tonnes of textiles.

From Engineering to Vintage: The Business Logic of a Y2K Second-Hand Store

Olivia Davies's interest in clothing began in childhood—she remembers turning a piece of stretchy leopard-print fabric into a different look every day, and her mother often took her to second-hand shops. But after leaving school, she didn't go straight into fashion: "At the time I felt I had to go to university, I was good at maths, so I went to study engineering." After several years working in water treatment engineering, she wanted more creative freedom, so she quit, first selling second-hand vases and vintage furniture at markets, and only later moving into clothing.

Thrifty Gal's style is defined by Y2K (roughly the late '90s to early 2000s), alongside vintage and upcycled pieces from other eras. Olivia describes Y2K style as "very, very loud, very bold," perfect for showing personality. The store also has a guest book where customers can cut and paste clothing images to create outfits, expressing themselves without buying anything. "I'd rather people not buy this time and come back next time than feel pressured to buy," she says.

A Checklist Before You Buy

Olivia's advice for second-hand shoppers: check the fabric, look for loose threads, and actually try things on. "Everyone's body is different." Also read the care label to make sure the washing method suits your lifestyle.

She also reminds people to think about why they're buying. She believes fast fashion shopping, especially online, is often more about "the thrill of hitting the order button" than the clothes themselves; by contrast, buying second-hand is more like "I really love this piece." She has developed a habit: before adding new clothes, she donates clothes she no longer wears. "People think my wardrobe must be enormous, but it's really not."

Shani Wood of Green Industries SA (GISA) agrees that the problem isn't that people enjoy fashion. "We really don't want to shame anyone for wanting to buy new clothes." The real concern is the lack of reuse and recycling. Recycling company Upparel estimates that Australians buy about 27 kg of new clothes each year and discard nearly 23 kg, most of which could still be worn or at least kept out of landfill.

A Second Life for Old Shirts and Jeans

Thrifty Gal reworks overlooked shirts by adding elastic and gathers at the sides to make the fit more tailored, giving them new life. Olivia says these pieces work for the office and can also be paired with a mini skirt for a party. "If you have a piece you've worn until it's very old, or you still love it but are a bit bored of it, that's when upcycling comes in."

She taught herself to sew through YouTube and repeated practice, and wants to help others feel confident altering or mending clothes. As part of Adelaide Fashion Week, on Thursday, October 8, she will host a "Denim Revamp Workshop," where participants bring denim pieces that fit but have started to feel boring—jeans, shorts, skirts, or jackets—and use buttons, rhinestones, and metal eyelets to transform them into something truly their own. "We'll just have fun and let everyone turn their denim into something they love."

These basic sewing skills matter, and research backs that up. GISA funded Dr Kate Sansome's clothing longevity study, which surveyed 591 South Australian residents. Younger participants were eager to learn repair skills but lacked confidence in them. Based on how long respondents had owned their clothes and how much longer they expected to wear them, repaired garments are expected to last about 2.5 years longer than unrepaired ones. "People want to do the right thing," Shani says, "they just don't know how."

Other Sustainable Options During Fashion Week

  • "Creative Circular Fashion Workshop" on Thursday, October 8, explores how to turn waste textiles into wearable pieces, with food and drinks included.
  • "Exploring Slow Fashion" walking tour on Friday, October 9, visits sustainable businesses in the CBD, including Thrifty Gal, with shopping along the way.
  • The Australian premiere of "Handmade Future" on Saturday, October 10, at Mercury Cinema, followed by a discussion with Olivia, Mel Flintoft of Silver Fleece, and designer Rachel Van Brussel on craft, ethics, and the future of fashion.

Letting Clothes Find Their Next Owner for Free

Another mechanism is GISA's "Set your clothes free" event: on Saturday, October 31, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be 14 drop-off points across Adelaide city and regional South Australia. For the first time, the event will accept both lower-quality clothing for Upparel to recycle and good-quality clothing for charities to resell. Clothing, footwear, handbags, and household bedding are accepted regardless of condition, but must be washed first; items not accepted include underwear, underwire bras, belts, cloth nappies, quilts, pillows, plush toys, and mattresses.

The event works with local governments and charities. The two "Set your clothes free" events in 2025 collected a total of 42.4 tonnes of idle textiles, of which 24.4 tonnes of clothing and footwear went to charity resale, and 18 tonnes of household textiles were sent for recycling to make fillings for products such as punching bags and pet beds. Shani is more confident about this year's collection volume. "It's not just an environmental issue," she says. "Buying second-hand or donating to op shops has clear social benefits because it creates so many jobs."

According to GISA data, clothing reuse creates 69 times more jobs than sending it to landfill, and South Australia's reuse industry provides more than 500 full-time jobs.

Source: Love the runway look? Make it your own for less · Originally published 2026-09-29