Innovative clothing swap events, curated talks and cultural activations globally…

min.jpg">Patrick Duffy, Founder of Global Fashion Exchange (an international platform promoting sustainability in the fashion industry with inspiring forums, educational content and cultural events, which through interactive clothing swaps empowers consumers to take action for a better environment while they stylishly renew their wardrobe and save hundreds of thousands of cloths from going to landfill), joins Stephanie Benedetto, Samanta Cortes, and guest host Charles Beckwith (American Fashion Podcast) in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.

In this episode:min.jpg">

• Duffy discusses how the Global Fashion Exchange has become something which travels all over the world, how it started when he did a collaboration with the UN Peace Boat with an information booth along with other sustainable fashion organizations
• How he was later invited to the UN, then asked to be a moderator, how so many people thought the travel industry was fluff and realized how much more there was later once the info was deployed
• Global Fashion Exchange (GFX) started as a clothing swap to engage people en masse
• Now GFX takes the mission around the world, promoting sustainability and what to do with clothing consumers and brands don’t want
• How GFX has turned into a communications platform and a consultancy, with a global network of people who want to create change in the fashion industry
• GFX’s partnership with major brands, and a fashion week in Lisbon
• Duffy explains how people bring clothing, creating a swapping experience that looks and feels like a high end department store, and after the exchange people keep clothing and recycle the rest
• GFX Local, having a clothing swap in one’s hometown, with the goal to get 100 cities by end of year
• Why Duffy is a man without a physical address, after he had an “aha moment”, and when from the tail end of running a restaurant, to self education in industry and soul searching, and ultimately decided to go full on into it, become nomadic with his efforts, and got rid of everything he owned
• The main goal of a million tons of clothing swapped
• How lack of knowledge in the industry causes ignorance of the issue and a need for action
• And how positioning as for planet and profit can get more brands on board
• Duffy discusses the massive excess of goods sitting in warehouses costing money, and what if you can monetize that
• The need for legal regulation to force
• Deforestation in fashion manufacturing
• How Duffy works out twice daily, pushing heavy things
• What’s possible given the inspiration of what Duffy has accomplished, from singing on tables to speaking at the UN, and the power to make change

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