Here's how you can score a free Chanel or Louis Vuitton bag through Vinnies

Gen Z and Millennials are well-known explorers of their local thrift shop but Vinnies NSW is hoping to see more young people through the doors with its latest fundraising campaign.

Got It At Vinnies, which features striking images of models styled to showcase the diverse range of unique clothing and accessories available at the charity's 200-plus network of shops across NSW, was captured by renowned photographer and director Pierre Toussaint.

To help lure younger thrifters into their local store, Vinnies NSW is also offering up prizes of a Louis Vuitton travel bag and a Chanel handbag. Anyone who makes a purchase or donates their pre-loved threads before April 15 can go into the draw.

Virginia Boyd, director of retail and logistics at Vinnies NSW, told Yahoo Lifestyle, “We are targeting a younger audience. Young people have been great shoppers of second-hand clothing for a really long time.

“They are very aware of sustainability and the environmental impact of fast fashion, so this really resonates with a younger audience.”

Now in its third year, the bold and high-impact campaign will run across Vinnies NSW’s social media channels including Instagram and TikTok, and – for the first time – on JCDecaux’s digital billboards targeting areas within 5km of a Vinnies store.

Boyd said Gen Z and Millennial shoppers were already “regular thrifters”, always on the lookout for more sustainable and economical clothing options, but the 2024 drive was also aimed at encouraging them to join the circular economy by donating items.

“With over 200 shops across NSW, Vinnies plays a crucial role in the changing face of second-hand fashion and the growing opportunity for op shopping in support of a social cause,” she said.

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Boyd told Yahoo the two designer bags were put up as prizes in the campaign to “drive people into stores, perhaps for the very first time”.

“You could own something beautiful for doing something so simple – making a purchase or giving a small donation,” she said. “The donation part is something we’re really hoping to encourage, it’s just as vital.”

Money raised by Vinnies stores goes to the St Vincent de Paul Society, which runs support centres providing people in immediate crisis with food, clothing and other everyday essentials, help with bills, a friendly face to listen and referrals to other helpful services.

The 2022-23 report showed the charity, which has divisions across Australia, helped 87,000 people in NSW with $13.7 million in food, clothing, household relief and financial aid.

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A further 28,250 who were experiencing extreme poverty, homelessness, escaping domestic violence and people with disabilities received health, housing and inclusion support, while the Vinnies Vans helped more than 70,000 individuals across the state.

“Vinnies shopping is quite often a social event, people don’t just go to one store,” Boyd told Yahoo Lifestyle. “They go with a couple of friends and visit a few – it’s entertainment as well as anything else.”

While pre-loved clothes in great condition were preferred, Boyd said Vinnies could generally find uses for pretty much any textile item – even if they were stretched or faded – which could include recycling.

She said the only thing that often puts people off buying second-hand clothes is if they are dirty, while Vinnies can’t launder the huge number of donations they receive each year.

So next time you decide to cull your wardrobe of old or unworn clothes, think about donating washed items to a Vinnies store – your decision could help someone who needs it.

Follow Vinnies NSW on Instagram or TikTok for more details.

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