I am Rachel Prest, mother of two, eco fashionista and founder of Raid My Wardrobe.
2010 began as a way for me to refresh, recycle and reinvent my own life – to pursue my interests and balance my wardrobe, my home life and a do something I was passionate about.
I became a fan of recycling second-hand clothing during my less affluent times as a student. After finishing my degree and teaching for years – yes I started out as a primary school teacher and then moved into management of a children’s charity before becoming a mother and founding Raid My Wardrobe.
People are really surprised when they realise that I don’t have a background in fashion. I have a passion and interest in all things sustainable and natural. I’m a greenie at heart and am passionate about all things green- eco fashion, eco styling, clean food, natural health and I love inspiring others in many ways.
Once I became a mum, my priorities about family and work life balanced changed. I needed to simplify things more. I looked in my wardrobe at my ‘work’ clothes, ‘going out’ clothes, clothes that didn’t really fit me quite right any more and I toyed with the idea of selling on eBay or other markets, but thought it would take too much time and effort for little return.
I thought “Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could just have one big hall set up, where people could sell their items and others could come to shop”.
With encouragement and support from my then husband and friends, I transformed this idea into a simple and rewarding reality. The inaugural event held in May 2010 attracted over 1000 people and so Raid My Wardrobe born.
The name and branding is all my own design, I even feature in the logo, with help from my photographer friend Ric Woods who insisted I come up with a logo that was small enough to look good on anything from a bumper sticker to a billboard.
“I wanted something that reflected the events professionalism, but also personal enough to make you stop and think, Hey, I could be a part of that!”
Raid My Wardrobe has grown to become more than a women’s preloved fashion event. It’s an institution that celebrates women of all shapes, sizes, styles and tastes. It is a melting pot of gorgeous fashion inspiration from upcycling, eco-styling, sustainable slow fashion, eco-chic, refashioning, preloved on-trend, vintage and retro.
“It is great to see so many women who wouldn’t normally shop at op shops embrace the Raid My Wardrobe concept, many women are becoming more and more environmentally conscious and socially aware of the impact of fast fashion and the fashion industry.” Buying second-hand is trendily eco-friendly too; it stops perfectly wearable clothes from wasting away as landfill.
Raid My Wardrobe is your place to refresh, recycle and reinvent your wardrobe.
- Weekly eco-styling fashion inspiration via our newsletter, blog and social media
- Signature Preloved Fashion Events
- Op Shop Tours
- Eco-Chic Fashion Events
“The idea of giving new life to preloved clothes and also passing on pieces of my own to new homes holds a very real appeal to me and I want to educate and inspire everyone to do the same.”
AS SEEN IN
Over the years we have featured in many media publications – TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, blogs most notably Channel 9 Mornings, That’s Life, mX newspaper, Newcastle Herald, ABC radio, NBN News.
To view a current, full list of online and offline publications, we’ve been featured in, click here.
GIVING BACK
I love to give back to the community in ways that benefit humanity, community and the environment.
Over the years we have supported Vinnies, Lifeline, Samaritans, Wesley Mission, Salvos and Red Cross with hundreds of kilos of clothing donations. Each year we conduct a Bra Drive for Uplift Project. Our sustainable eco-chic fashion event supports Fashion Revolution and we partner with The Got Your Back Sista charity each year to support women escaping domestic violence. We also have made a monthly pledge to support sustainable blog Eco Warrior Princess.
For a full current list with description and images of the numerous organisations we have supported over the years click here.
TO STAY CONNECTED!
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for free eco styling tips and event date announcements straight to your inbox.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
I love to read mail and hear how I have inspired you, send me an email at info@raidmywardrobe.com.au
MEDIA & PRESS and COLLABORATION ENQUIRIES
I am available for interviews and speaking engagements and I’d love to hear from you!
Contact me directly at info@raidmywardrobe.com.au or via the contact page.
