Lorraine Keane and Oxfam bring a star-studded sustainable fashion fundraiser to Galway and Dublin

Fashion Relief 2020 to raise vital funds for communities affected by climate crisis

WHAT:                        FASHION RELIEF on tour in Galway and Dublin

WHEN & WHERE:     The Galmont Hotel and Spa, Lough Atalia Road, Galway on Sunday 1st March 2020 from 11.00am – 5.00pm 

       Hall 4, The RDS, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th March 2020 from 11.00am – 5.00pm 

Broadcaster Lorraine Keane and Oxfam Ireland, along with a host of Ireland’s favourite fashion and lifestyle personalities, are bringing FASHION RELIEF, Ireland’s biggest sustainable fashion fundraiser, back to Galway and Dublin this March.

The events will take place in Galway’s Galmont Hotel on Sunday 1st March and Dublin’s RDS on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th March 2020, offering people a unique opportunity to bag a bargain from the wardrobe of their favourite style icon or brand, boutique or designer, all while raising crucial funds for Oxfam’s work worldwide.  

Now in its third year, FASHION RELIEF has raised over €200,000, with all profits supporting people affected by poverty and disaster, including communities at the sharp end of climate emergencies and conflict in places like Yemen, Ethiopia and Bangladesh.

FASHION RELIEF in both Galway and Dublin opens at 11.00am and will showcase rail after rail of premium pre-loved clothes and accessories starting at just €5, with donations from the stars and the public as well as brand-new items from designers and retailers across the nation. 

A host of Irish designer items will be on sale from Fee G, Caroline Kilkenny, Deborah Veale, Umit Kutluk and Heidi Higgins. At each event, there will be a designer corner with pieces by all the high-end international fashion houses such as Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Roland Mouret, Chloe, Celine, Balenciaga, Chanel and so many more.  

Attendees will also enjoy a free fashion show and get fashion advice and styling tips from leading Irish stylists and social influencers on the day.  

Lorraine Keane is inviting the people of Galway and Dublin to join her there: “We are blown away by the success of FASHION RELIEF so far, including the incredible generosity we’ve experienced from the Irish public, our corporate and media partners, designers, boutiques and brands across the country.  

“And we’re so excited to bring FASHION RELIEF back to fashion-savvy shoppers in Galway and Dublin this year. Over the last few weeks, items have been pouring in from a host of amazing designers, retailers and the public, as well as of course, celebrities and influencers.  

“This year we have a particular focus on sustainability and we’re inviting people to join us on a journey to a more sustainable lifestyle, starting with the clothes we wear. We’re proud to be a solution to ‘throwaway fashion’ by reducing the amount of clothes and textiles that end up in landfill and giving pre-loved clothes a second lease of life. By shopping at FASHION RELIEF, you’re also helping to raise vital funds for people living in poverty worldwide, including those affected by the climate crisis.

“In December, I visited the world’s largest refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, home to almost one million Rohingya refugees who fled unimaginable violence in Myanmar. While safe from the conflict that took the lives of many of their loved ones, they now face new threats and challenges in their makeshift home.  

“I saw first-hand the devasting impact the climate crisis is having on people affected by poverty and disaster right now. Cox’s Bazar is extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather events like cyclones and monsoons - and when you live in a flimsy shelter made of tarpaulin and bamboo that is particularly catastrophic. The Oxfam staff in the camp told me how during storms and flash flooding, homes and even little children are at risk of being washed away.  

“The are many reasons to join me at FASHION RELIEF in Galway and Dublin but the most important is that we’ll be raising vital funds for Oxfam’s work in places like Bangladesh where they are providing life-saving support like shelter, food, water and safe sanitation. Get your ticket today.” 

All profits will support Oxfam’s work in some of the world’s poorest countries, helping people to lift themselves out of poverty as well as saving lives when humanitarian disasters hit. 

Tickets for FASHION RELIEF in Galway and Dublin are available at www.fashionrelief.ie.  

For more information on tickets, or others ways to support, including organising a donation drive or volunteering on the day, email IRL-fashionrelief@oxfam.org or call 01 672 7662. 

ENDS

CONTACT: Interviews, images – including Lorraine Keane’s trip to Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh – and more information available on request.  

Alice Dawson-Lyons on  alice.dawsonlyons@oxfam.org / +353 (0) 83 198 1869 

Caroline Reid | caroline.reid@oxfam.org | +353 (0) 87 912 3165 

Notes to the Editor:

• Tickets are available at www.fashionrelief.ie or through Ticketweb:  https://www.ticketweb.ie/search?q=fashion+relief&REFERRAL_ID=WEB

• The first FASHION RELIEF was held in the RDS in Dublin on 13th May 2018

• Oxfam’s work in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh: 

• Oxfam is providing life-saving essentials like food vouchers, safe water and sanitation (toilets, showers, soap, sanitary towels etc.) to help stop the spread of deadly disease and keep people healthy.  
• They are also working to make sure women and girls feel safe in the camp by:
  • Installing solar-powered street lights around the camp and providing torches and portable solar lanterns so that refugees – especially women – feel safer leaving their shelters after dark  
  • Supplying fabric and vouchers so that refugees, especially women, can make or order clothes so they feel more comfortable going out in public