Luxury maternity clothing brand Isabella Oliver has launched a ‘Pre-Loved’ clothing donation programme. The scheme encourages former customers to donate their pre-owned maternity wear to either be repurposed, re-loved or recycled. 50% of net proceeds go to support Women and Children First’s work with mothers worldwide.
The research of 500 mums who have had a baby in the past five years was commissioned by Isabella Oliver. It reveals that on average British women spend almost £700 during their pregnancy on maternity clothes. This includes over 21 pieces of new clothing, including 2 pairs of jeans and a dress for special occasions, leaving a lot of unwanted clothes afterwards.
Isabella Oliver, through their Pre-Loved programme, will take in clothing from any maternity brand to repurpose, recycle or put back on sale for other mothers to enjoy. In return, customers will receive £20 off their next order at Isabella Oliver or sister brand Baukjen.
The goal of the programme is to decrease the levels of maternity wear production and radically reduce the maternity fashion waste going to landfill each year.
Find out more about the Pre-Loved Programme and how to donate clothes here >
Mark Mina, Fundraising and Communications Manager at Women and Children First says:
“The Pre-Loved range from Isabella Oliver is a wonderful idea for extending the life of maternity clothing, enabling mothers-to-be to get high-quality clothing at great prices. Women and Children First is proud to be involved in this initiative.
“What’s more, the scheme provides vital funding for Women and Children First, enabling us to help mothers and babies to survive and thrive worldwide.
“Too many women die in pregnancy and childbirth around the world. By setting up women’s health groups, communities can find ways to overcome these problems.
“This includes improving access to health centres, such as by lobbying for bicycle ambulances, reducing journey times from over 2 hours to just 15 minutes. This can be the difference between life and death.
“These donations can help set up women’s health groups in poor, rural communities, helping people overcome their problems. Thank you to everyone who is donating clothes to the scheme, and to all who are buying from the Pre-loved range.”
Isabella Oliver co-founder and chief executive Geoff van Sonsbeeck says:
“We pride ourselves on quality and the longevity of our products and offer pregnant women long-lasting garments to see them through more than one pregnancy.
“It’s time for a significant change in our industry. We believe in producing less but at a higher quality, so that the clothes can be worn pregnancy after pregnancy, so the impact to the environment is vastly minimised.
“This past decade has been about the world waking up to climate change. On the eve of the next decade, we must make it a green one. Our Pre-Loved programme gives customers the opportunity to be part of a positive change.”
Women and Children First thanks Isabella Oliver and their customers for their valued support.
Find out more about the Pre-Loved Programme and how to donate clothes here >