Give + Take Hosts #PopSwap Pop Up Sale and Party
I recently had the great pleasure of attending the Give + Take #PopSwap Pop Up Sale and Party. “Give + Take is a real mecca for the responsible shopper, said Dawn McCoy, creator and writer of the popular Beauty Frosting blog, who is also an on-camera host, singer and voiceover artist. McCoy hosted this event along with actress Sarah Jane Morris (NCIS, Criminal Minds) and TV host, stylist and expert Alison Deyette on Sunday, September 28th at Give + Take, the world’s first swap boutique. This event celebrated a new partnership between the boutique and the Step Up Women’s Network non-profit organization.
“I love this store and I’m so honored to be a host. I support anything that encourages people to be as environmentally responsible as possible. As a busy woman who goes to events daily and having to wear different things with the advent of social media, it’s very important to have high fashion turnover without the high budget and be a responsible human being,” added McCoy.
“I have clients that regularly stand in front of their closets full of clothes and claim they have nothing to wear. They’re bored with their choices. My first move is to organize what they own and style new looks from their existing wardrobe, then I shop for new pieces and additionally introduce them to Give + Take, a genius idea of a swap boutique. It gives my clients a chance to swap the items they no longer wear that are in good condition and nab a “new” item,” says celebrity stylist & TV host Alison Deyette. “For a gal who loves to experiment with her wardrobe or is on a budget or is eco-minded or perhaps all three – Give +Take swap boutique is brilliant! You can swap items from your wardrobe that you no longer wear or are just plain bored with and add “new” items to several times a month,” added Deyette.
“I love hosting this event. I’m such a fan of Give + Take and a big supporter of the Step Up women’s network. I’ve been active with the Step Up Women’s Network for seven years,” said Morris.
Sponsors believe in this whimsical eco store so much, they came from long distances to be a part of the event. “I live in Dana Point and this is the second time I’ve been a part of this event. Super Chemist Eric, missed football on a Sunday game to come back again,” said Kim Borio, founder and CEO of Glycelene, who is also a celebrity makeup artist. “I came from Portland, Oregon for this event,” said Jaime Schmidt of Schmidt’s natural deodorant. “I really wish there was a store like Give + Take in Portland,” Schmidt added.
“It feels great to be a part of this event,” said Maggie Mahboubian, the founder and CEO of Lalun Naturals. “I think the concept behind the store and how eco-minded the owners are, is a brilliant idea.” Her line is named after a village in the Aborz mountains of Iran. “Growing up in Iran (before the revolution), I was raised eating all natural, farm fresh, farm to table food and used all-natural products. Iran is full of gardens and everything is seasonal, which is why I eat seasonally. I even extract my botanicals seasonally that I use for my all-natural products,” said Mahboubian. Her sweet smelling Qajar Rose parfum is a nod to her heritage and smells as fresh as springtime.
Tweeting their finds with the hashtag #PopSwap, guests enjoyed a natural beauty pop-up flash sale with offerings from Glycelene (www.glycelene.com), Lalun Naturals (www.lalunnaturals.com) H. Gillerman Organics (www.hgillermanorganics.com), Simply Shari’s (www.simplysharis.com), Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant (www.schmidtsdeodorant.com), The Wonder Seed (www.thewonderseed.com), Everbalm (www.everbalm.com) as well as tasty probiotic drinks from Kevita (www.kevita.com).
Taking the “share economy” one step forward for womankind, Give + Take is a revolutionary new way for women to shop. Members get credit for the clothes and accessories that they contribute and spend that credit in the store.
Like Rent-the-Runway meets your favorite boutique, Give + Take members can keep their new looks forever—or return them the next day for more. Have a party Saturday night and nothing to wear? Swap for a dress at lunch, wear it out at night, clean it Sunday morning and exchange it that afternoon. Without the limitations and pressures of a private swap, Give + Take helps women save money and gain style.
Give + Take features high end and popular designers such as Alice and Olivia, Anthropologie, BCBG, Diane Von Furstenberg, C&C California, Diesel, Ella Moss, Free People, Gucci, H&M, Joes Jeans, Kooba, L.A.M.B., Max Azria, Marc Jacobs, Nicole Miller, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Prada, Rebecca Minkoff, Robert Rodriguez, Rodarte, Seven For All Mankind, Stella McCartney, Thakoon, Theory, Urban Outfitters, Velvet, Zac Posen, and many more.
The store takes clothing that is freshly laundered and neatly folded as well as gently worn shoes and boots. They also take accessories like belts, scarves, hats, jewelry, and sunglasses.
“It’s so fun to see how excited people get about the swap boutique and not just the members, but also people new to the concept,” says partner Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff. “It brings the community together to save time and money and promotes great style. It’s also great for the environment. Swapping is budget-conscious eco-fashion at its best. If every woman in America swapped rather than shopped for just 30 days, we could save $10 billion and one billion pounds of landfill waste—in just one month!”
And who better than Sarnoff to run such a creative, practical, affordable and eco-minded store, as she is the founder of MommyGreenest.com and a sustainability advocate who has appeared on “The Today Show,””CNN Headline News” and “Good Day L.A.”
Her partner in the shop, Celina Burns, is an artist who loves sand, sea and swapping. Some of her paintings are on display at Give + Take and the store is a labor of love for her as well.
With monthly private events and staff on hand to share style suggestions, Give + Take is more than a store—it’s a community and it’s a community of eco-minded fashion forward women making the world greener one carbon footprint at a time. The boutique is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m at 1740 Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica, CA. More info on the store at www.GivePlusTake.com
