It’s 5pm on Friday night and a group of volunteers have gathered in an old, cold church in Willesden, north-west London, making last-minute adjustments to rails of floaty dresses, piles of sweaters, boxes of hats, shoes and scarves. Hosted by former Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman and novelist Zadie Smith, this isn’t any old charity jumble sale but a must-go event that sums up current trends in how people buy their clothes.
The provenance of much of the merchandise is starry. Shulman opened her address book and Sophie Dahl and Jemima Khan donated clothes. Labels spotted included YSL, Chanel, Jil Sander, Prada, Gucci, Manolo Blahnik, Margaret Howell and almost every other big name in luxury goods. Plus lots of Zara. Prices are £10 to £200.
