It should come as no surprise that the fashion industry is susceptible to emerging trends. QR codes are becoming an increasingly familiar sight accompanying designer clothing. Selfridges, a prestigious retail establishment in London, recently played host to a charity event sponsored by the Oxfam Curiosity Shop, which is selling second hand clothing donated by A-list celebrities. The clothes come with a QR code, linking shoppers to exclusive content via Oxfam’s mobile website.
Among the celebrities that have donated their clothing to the event are Colin Firth, Annie Lennox, and Scarlet Johansson. Proceeds garnered from the event are put toward a variety of projects around the world. Last year, more than $300,000 was raised and used to help raise awareness of issues such as climate change, health and education.
Oxfam is rather famous for their recycling of celebrity clothing. Part of their appeal comes in the form of their TalesofThings initiative, which collects stories from the celebs donating their clothing, recalling fond memories of events passed. The clothes come with a tag stamped with a QR code. When scanned, the code uploads a video to a shopper’s smart phone, telling the story of that particular piece from the perspective of the celebrity that donated it.
The codes are not unfamiliar in the fashion industry and have gained considerable momentum because of their ability to seamlessly connect designers with their audience. Many in the industry consider the codes a yet untapped resource.
Oxfam will be contributing their proceeds gained from this event toward a number of charitable endeavors.
