The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Finding a way to give a new life to the old
When Dundee social enterprise Uppertunity received more donations than it knew what do to with, the ReBoutique upcycling shop was born.
The Castle Street shop in Dundee sells upcycled clothes, furniture and decor to prevent these items going into landfill.
Uppertunity founder Daniëlle Gaffney du Plooy got so many donations she realised she could fill a shop.
“It’s a bit scary to open after a pandemic, but we thought let’s just do it and have faith,” she said.
“We see lots of shops closing and the High Street not being busy, so we want to add back to it.”
By offering unique pieces, with ReBoutique Daniëlle aims to “rewrite” the High Street and make the shopping experience more engaging.
She says: “We want people to talk to us about what we do and be aware of what goes into making a product.
“The work that goes into designing and making something takes quite a lot of energy, so we want to highlight that.
“By making it more personal and fun, people appreciate the shopping experience more.”
Everything in the shop is made by staff, volunteers and Uppertunity group members.
There is also a rail for rent in the shop where designers and makers can showcase their collections, while at the front of the shop there is space for creative workshops.
Anything made in upcycling sessions gets sold in the shop, and profits go back to Uppertunity to fund therapy groups.
It also helps the business employ staff with additional needs, and currently 60% of its workforce has barriers to employment of some kind.
Daniëlle is currently working on the latest addition to the shop, which will be a fashion library.
She hopes it will inspire people to rent clothes they will wear only once rather than buy them.
“People will come with bags of clothes and some of it still has labels,” she says.
“We’ve seen this a few times, where someone dropped something off and it’s the same dress in three different colours.
“We’re looking for men’s suits, which is proving very difficult. It seems men don’t get rid of clothes.”
Since opening the shop two months ago, the founder has noticed footfall is its biggest challenge.
Despite noticing fewer people in the city centre, she hopes ReBoutique’s offering will draw people back towards independent shops.
Daniëlle says: “When people come in, they love the atmosphere and what we do.
“We want to do more across Scotland to prevent waste and inspire people to make a difference.”
Any donations can be dropped off at ReBoutique, Uppertunity’s Dudhope Castle base or Serendipities Cafe.