The Slow Flower Movement and the fashion for second-hand clothes

In Germany, the “Slow Flower Movement” is growing – the sustainable cultivation and sale of regional, seasonal flowers free of pesticides and chemical fertilisers. Similar initiatives have emerged in the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and the USA. This is a response to the realities of the flower industry, as winter flowers come to the northern hemisphere from the southern part of the planet. According to the German environmental group BUND, the pesticides used in the crops there, which are banned in Europe, are dangerous for the local environment and workers. Flowers transported over thousands of kilometres – from Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia or Ecuador – also leave a large carbon footprint, as do those grown in heated greenhouses, for example, in the Netherlands.

Absolut Swap Shop has opened in London with “deadstock” clothes, i.e. clothing that went unsold in its first shop. Clothes can be swapped there, and the venture is branded by popular social media activists and influencers. Second-hand clothing department store Charity.Super.Mkt has also launched in the English capital. According to GlobalData, the UK’s clothing resale market grew by 149% between 2016 and 2022. The used clothing boom is largely driven by Generation Z. According to data from the Boston Consulting Group project and resale site of Vestiaire, it was this demographic of consumers that were most likely to buy (31%) and sell (44%) second-hand clothing in 2022.