Lush will be hosting a pop-up shop raising money for G(end)er Swap where individuals can purchase retro clothes and second-hand finds on 29th and 30th of March!

G(end)er Swap aims to educate, advocate for and to celebrate gender non-conformity as a way to promote better inclusivity (gender-neutral spaces, size variation and accessibility) for queer and trans individuals in the mainstream fashion world.

The project has three main components:

• Clothing pop-up events where individuals can exchange clothes or find trans specific items in a community and trans-inclusive space.
• Workshops: developing and implementing discussions and awareness activities based on gender identity and style.
• A style archive (QUEERTEXSTYLES) that documents the voices of LGBTIQ+ individuals and their relationship with clothes. This is an interactive installation that travels to collect stories. This archive participates in a digital archiving movement utilising the hashtag #QUEERTEXSTYLES – we have had over 100 submissions thus far.

All three of these events travel worldwide and have been included in LGBTIQ+ conferences and festivals in England, Bulgaria, Belgium, Northern Ireland and the Republic, and has participated in university-wide learning seminars including University of Oxford, Queen Mary University, NUI Galway (Ireland) and McGill University (Canada). G(end)er Swap has been involved in several pride events and took part in an art residency for six months at LimeWharf Cultural Innovation Hub in East London to develop and implement a pop-up shopping service for trans individuals to shop and get connected to LGBTIQ+ specific resources.

On the day, there will be activities that’ll encompass the following themes: educate, celebrate and embrace. There will be a photo booth area to contribute stories to the QUEERTEXSTYLES archive, an information area about the project, its main aims and information on how to get involved, plus sharing information on queer and trans individuals shopping experiences in mainstream retailers. There will also be a pop-up shop where individuals can purchase retro clothes and second-hand finds.

During this weekend, 100% of the proceeds of their Hand and Body Lotion Charity Pot (minus the VAT) will go to G(end)er Swap. The money raised will go towards supporting the projects marketing materials and venues to support long term pop-up spaces.