Learn more about this non-profit CIC that is bringing the community together through clothing
BY NIAMH LENEGHAN, IMAGES BY TY MORGUN
Somewhere in London, in a colourful room stacked with clothes, someone tries on a binder for the first time. They’re brought to tears.
It feels euphoric.
“How much is this?” they ask.
At QueerSwap, the answer is simple: “It’s free. You can take it home with you.”
Founded by Nyx and Sierra in 2023, QueerSwap is a clothes swap for queer people in London. It’s a place where clothes can move between people as their identities and wardrobes change. More than 20,000 pieces of clothing have passed through the swap since it began.
For some, finding the right piece of clothing can be the moment something clicks. Maybe it’s the first time they look in the mirror and recognise themselves.
Nyx and Sierra’s idea grew out of their own experiences of navigating clothes swaps and high-street shops. Even in spaces open to everyone, certain clothes came with unspoken rules about who should wear them.
“Every time I picked up an item of clothing that was more male, people looked at me funny,” Nyx said.
Sierra arrived in London with a desire to find affordable ways to build a wardrobe. Together, they imagined a queer-specific alternative where people could experiment with their style without worrying about judgement or price tags.
Their first event took place in a tiny bar in Deptford. They sold almost 200 free tickets and panicked about how they would fit everyone in. In the end, around 30 people turned up, and one volunteer who attended that day is still involved.
The swap has since grown into a community where people can arrive with clothes they no longer identify with and leave them for someone who might treasure them.
Sierra says trans community members have particularly benefited from being able to exchange entire wardrobes as their lives change. “They get to try out different styles of clothing in a relatively risk-free way,” she says. “They don’t have to spend hundreds of pounds to figure out what style of dress looks best on them.”
And if something doesn’t work out, there’s no pressure to keep it. People can simply bring it back to the next swap. Sierra describes QueerSwap as a “giant queer closet” that everyone shares.
Someone who was a stranger minutes earlier might become your personal stylist, holding up a shirt they reckon would suit you or insisting you take home a dress. “Everybody is so comfortable and feels so safe that people will just start changing everywhere,” Sierra says.
“You’ll have people saying, ‘Oh my God, that looks amazing on you. That is so your colour.’”
There’s something special about being cheered on by someone who understands the feeling of finding clothes that finally feel like you. In April, QueerSwap opened a studio in Vauxhall, giving queer creatives and facilitators free access to space and materials for workshops.
The studio’s cupboards are filled with donated craft supplies, including sewing machines passed on by people who wanted them to keep being used. Sustainability is woven into QueerSwap’s approach, too. Around 95% of the clothes they receive are either swapped again or repurposed, with worn-out fabrics finding new life in creative projects or textile recycling.
For Nyx and Sierra, the clothes keep moving, and the community keeps growing. A donated shirt might end up being the thing you reach for every morning. A sewing machine, gathering dust in someone’s cupboard, might find its way into the hands of someone who’s always wanted to learn.
You can find out more about QueerSwap on Instagram @queerswap.
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