Three 20-somethings established a system to collect and redistribute second-hand clothes for under $2. Now their non-profit, FabricAID, is taking the vintage revolution to a trendy Beirut shopping district, writes Keith J Fernandez.

Something that no longer brings joy to one person may well do so for another. That premise underpins peer-to-peer online marketplaces but falls short when it comes to larger volumes, especially at country level. Lebanese non-profit FabricAID aims to bridge just such a gap in the second-hand apparel sector by redistributing tonnes of high-quality garments to disadvantaged communities at prices between $0.30 and $2 per item.

“It is essential for us to micro-price our garments to help as many people as we can,” says Co-Founder and Chief Communications Officer Lynn Abi Aad, 24.

Since its launch in December 2016, FabricAID has sold some 75,000 pieces of clothing, shoes and accessories to over 13,000 people.

It offers the approximately 3.3 million Lebanese people classified as being in need the dignity of shopping for garments they can afford in a setting similar to traditional retailers, Abi Aad says. Paying for these items gives buyers a sense of pride, with such purchases considered more valuable than charity handouts.

Co-founder Omar Itani, 24, thought of starting FabricAID after he discovered that clothing his family had been donating to their apartment concierge was going to landfills. He threw the garments away because they did not fit his family members.

A little rummaging turned up some interesting facts. Textiles account for 5% to 10% of solid waste in Lebanon, yet charities only collect and redistribute about 5% of used clothes because they lack the infrastructure to handle greater volumes.

“There are over 250 second-hand shops in Lebanon, which import more than 12,000 tonnes of second-hand clothing per year. They pay $5 to $12 per kilogram–more than $80 million,” Abi Aad says. “They're forced to sell their clothes at higher prices to make a profit.”

She and Itani teamed up with their tech specialist friend Hussam Hannouni, now 21, and established FabricAID with just $2,000 in cash. In 2017, they were accepted into the UNICEF Impact Accelerator scheme and registered as a company that October. The following year, they won the MIT Enterprise Forum’s pan-Arab prize, and in 2019, the UN Environment Programme named Itania Young Champion of the Earthfor showing how fashion can transform into a zero-waste, low-carbon industry.

CIRCULAR VALUE CHAIN

In explaining how FabricAID works, Abi Aad says that clothes are collected in smart bins all over Lebanon and sorted at a central warehouse. Good-quality items are sent to shops and pop-up markets in marginalised areas. Articles considered unsuitable for redistribution are upcycled in collaboration with fashion schools such as Esmod and sold under the RemAID labelor repurposed into cushions and mattresses.

FabricAID has succeeded on several fronts. Besides supporting disadvantaged communities, it provides a regular, budget-friendly inventory to thrift shops and reduces waste generated in Lebanon, thus helping the nation lower its carbon footprint. By sourcing clothes locally, FabricAID can sell them at much lower prices to the same shops – even after cleaning – enabling the stores to improve their profitability while retailing the garments more cheaply. The startup also employs people from marginalised communities as FabricAID workers and RemAID tailors.

 “By redesigning the clothing cycle, we positively impact communities, NGOs, the environment and businesses,” Abi Aad adds.

With a circular value chain for second-hand apparel established, FabricAID’s five-year ambition is to take the concept across the Middle East, beginning with Jordan.

It also plans to expand its reach by capitalising on the growing appeal of vintage clothes for different socioeconomic classes. According to ThredUp, the aggregate second-hand clothing sector is growing 21 times faster than the broader apparel market, its value expected to jump from $24 billion in 2018 to $53 billion by 2023.

This summer, FabricAID will open a vintage store in Beirut’s arty Gemmayze district. Abi Aad says:

“We aim to target a different niche of people, a different social class. This shop will bring awareness to Lebanese people about textile and fabric waste. Our goal is to encourage people to stop supporting fast fashion and invest in re-used sustainable fashion instead.”