A Shoreditch church has piloted its first pop-up boutique aimed at dressing the local homeless.
St Leonard’s, in Shoreditch High Street, where the comedy series Rev was filmed, opened its gates after its harvest festival on Sunday to encourage the parish’s rough sleepers and homeless to find new clothing.
Inspired by a video of a group of Poplar teachers who put on their own “street store” in their school playground, the group at St Leonard’s decided to copy the idea. With a drop-in centre onsite, a residential project next door and a recovery work space round the corner, St Leonard’s is at the physical and emotional centre of homelessness in the area.
Customers were treated to a wide range of options, from Lacoste polo shirts to lounge suits. “We’ve had about 10 bin bags worth of stuff donated today alone, including lots of suits for people to wear to interviews,” said Lucy Johnson, the event’s organiser.
The concept of the “street store” was developed in Cape Town, South Africa earlier this year by two advertising creatives. It has since become a global, open-source campaign to recycle and to help society’s most vulnerable.
Johnson said: “The basic premise of the shop is that instead of being handed a load of clothes randomly – and not having any choice about what you get – people can come and choose what they’d like in a nice setting.
“Some people have come here and completely kitted themselves out … one guy came, redressed himself and then said: ‘I’m just going to bring my lady. She needs clothes.’”
St Leonard’s is now looking for stylists, merchandisers and hairdressers to join the store.
