News and Event

On 6 July 2022, Mahanakorn Partners Group Chairman & Managing Partner, and The European House-Ambrosetti ASEAN Partner Luca Bernardinetti presented the position paper entitled ‘ASEAN Smart Mobility Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future: Trends and Opportunities to Attract Italian Investments’ at the High Level Dialogue on ASEAN Italy Economic Relations, organized by the European House - Ambrosetti with the Italy-ASEAN Association, which was hosted at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Mr. Bernardinetti also moderated the panel discussion entitled ’Tools for Economic Cooperation’, with the following speakers:
Carlo Ferro, President of the ITA - Italian Trade Agency
Raffaele Langella, Director of International Affairs, Confindustria
Mohd Munir Abdul Majid, Chairman of ASEAN-BAC Malaysia Business Advisory Council,
ASEAN Business Club
Luca Maestripieri, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation
Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Special Advisor on Foreign Affairs, Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) , former Permanent Secretary, Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Allan B. Gepty, Assistant Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry, Philippines.

Romano Prodi, former Prime Minister of Italy, and former President of the European Commission, gave the closing remarks.

#investments#business#opportunities#future#development#sustainable#ev # #infrastructure#electricvehicles#smartenergy#smartinfrastructure#asean#highlevel#investment#managementconsulting#ambrosetti#mahanakornpartnersgroup#mahanakornpartners#mpg

Thailand Real Estate Outlook for Wellness Living, Tourism & MICE 

by Kathleen Pokrud

On June 30, 2022, The Belgian-Luxembourg/Thai Chamber of Commerce recently presented a Multi-Chamber panel discussion: Thailand real estate outlook for wellness living, tourism and MICE at The Peninsula Bangkok.

The panelists included Mr. Stephan Vanden Auweele, Chief Hospitality Group Officer of Asset World Corporation PLC and Director of BeLuThai; Ms. Ittaya Sirivasukarn, Chief Executive Officer of Miskawaan Health and Mr. Sumate Sudasna na Ayuthaya, President of Thailand Incentive and Convention Association. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Arnaud Derbaudrenghien, Managing Director of Katoen Natie (Thailand) Co. Ltd. who also sits on the board of directors with BeLuThai.

All panelists agreed on a bright outlook of MICE visitors and are bright for Thailand in the near future. After the Panel Discussion, BeLuThai hosted the Multi-Chamber Social Networking as a business matching event at Jesters, The Peninsula Bangkok. VIP attendees included H.E. Mrs. Sibille de Cartier d’Yves, The Ambassador of the Embassy of Belgium in Thailand, Ms. Siriporn Wuthilaohaphan – The BeLuthai President, BeLuThai Board Members, Ms. Vibeke Lyssand Leirvag – The Chairwoman of The Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand (JFCCT), the Panelists from the Panel Discussion, and representatives from the event sponsors – Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and WHA Industrial Development Public Company Limited.

The event went amazingly well as the attendees well-connected with each other through talks and drinks. With the stylish environment and the warm and friendly vibe, all the guests enjoyed the delicious food and free flow of drinks. Everyone enjoyed the connection talk and business opportunities during this event.

Introduction of BeLuThai

The Belgian-Luxembourg/Thai Chamber of Commerce (BeLuThai) is a small but very dynamic chamber comprising of over 90 corporate and individual members

The Chamber was established in November 1992 and succeeded the Thai-Belgium Business Association which had been operational since September 1990. Economic relations between Belgium/Luxembourg and Thailand have existed for centuries. During the last decades, the number of business contacts between these countries has grown considerably.

The aim of BeLuThai is to further support market access to and investments in Thailand for Belgian and Luxembourg companies. It provides information and services to members concerning commerce, industry, finance and investment, and we organize network events and activities relevant to Belgian, Luxembourg and Thai businesses. BeLuThai also serves as a channel to voice views and interests of Belgian and Luxembourg businesses towards the government of Thailand, as well as to other business organizations in Thailand.

For more information on BeLuThai, please contact [email protected]

Eleven Sabah agencies hosted by Sabah Wildlife Department Complete Specialist Training

Written by Kathleen Pokrud

A Pandemic within a Pandemic

Indicators of a range of data sources in many countries have shown that incidences of aggravated gender-based and domestic abuse have surged during the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide. Stay at homes order, schools closed, workers laid-off or told to work from home. When people are confined to homes with limited personal movement, in addition to the decline in household income due to the pandemic, and often abuse of alcohol consumption have heightened the problem.

One of the women’s international organisations that have tirelessly worked on the issues of gender equality, gender-based and domestic violence, early marriage and teenage pregnancy is Zonta International. The organization stands for women’s rights, advocate for gender equality, education for girls, an end to child marriage and teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence. Expat Life magazine sat down with Zontian Chavali Pamela Osathanugrah, the Zonta International District 17 Governor in 2020-2022 Biennium. Zontian Pamela oversees 6 Areas namely the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Thailand with 2,600 members and 87 Clubs. Aside being the fastest growing District in the world, District 17 is also the largest District in the world in terms of the number of members and clubs.

Zonta Representation

Gender equality is a basic human right and its achievement has immense socioeconomic implications. Yet, gender inequalities are deeply rooted in every society. Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. While progress has been made, since the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, no country in the world has achieved gender equality.

Zonta International is a non-governmental organization with General Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and participatory status to the Council of Europe. Zonta is also a member of coalitions like the Coalition to End Violence Against Women and Girls Globally, the ERA Coalition and others. Through these relationships and partnerships, Zonta is able to issue its own statements and collaborate with other like-minded organizations to make joint statements and advocate for policies to promote and protect the rights of women and girls.

History of Zonta

Zonta International’s story is woven from a rich fabric of empowerment and progressive change. In 1919, the Confederation of Zonta Clubs was formed. Mary E. Jenkins, a newspaper publisher and civic leader, was elected the first President of the Confederation of Zonta Clubs. The name Zonta is derived from the Native American Sioux dialect and signifies ‘honest and trustworthy’. ‘Zonta International’ became known in 1931 with the charter of the first club in Europe, the Zonta Club of Vienna, Austria, followed by the Zonta Club of Hamburg, Germany. From 1930 through the 1950’s Zonta International continued to grow in Europe and to Latin America and to Asia. The first club in Asia, founded in 1952 is the Zonta Club of Manila, Philippines, now known as Zonta Club of Manila l. It was February 1969 that the first club in Thailand was chartered and the first President was Thanpuying Poonsapaya Navawongs (Noppawong) na Ayudhya, then the first woman Dean and founder of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education.  Zonta District Governor Pamela disclosed, “Today, Zonta International is a global organization of more than 27,000 women and men in 1,129 Zonta clubs in 31 Districts and one Region South America in 63 countries. In 2019, we celebrated our 100th anniversary and the milestones that made us the organization we are today.” On 8 November 2019, Zonta International marked a century of commitment to empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy.

Mission and Vision

On the mission of Zonta, Mrs Pamela explained, “Zonta International is a leading global organization of professionals empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy.” I asked her about what is the vision in the Zontians’ world, “Zonta International envisions a world in which women’s rights are recognized as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential. In such a world, women have access to all resources and are represented in decision- making positions on an equal basis with men. In such a world, no woman lives in fear of violence.”

Zonta International Programmes 

Our International Programmes through the United Nations agencies are funded through the Zonta International Foundation, now known as Zonta Foundation for Women. Mrs. Pamela reiterated, “Education is vital to girls and young women, and we encourage it immensely.” There are Education Programmes to young women funded by the Zonta Foundation for Women.

1. 
   Amelia Earhart Fellowship in honor of famed pilot and Zontian Amelia Earhart since 1938   awarded to women pursuing Ph.D. /doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering and sciences;
   2. Young Women in Public Affairs Award established in 1990;
   3. Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship established in 1998;
   4. Women in Technology Scholarship is now in its pilot stage, which began in the last Biennium in 2018-2020.

Our services to the community

Zonta International is passionate about providing life-changing opportunities for women and girls through international service projects. The following lists International Service Projects in the 2020-2022 Biennium:

1. Global Programme to End Child Marriage
2. Adolescent Girls’ Health and Protection in Peru 
3. Strengthening Capacities of National Health Sector to Deliver Survivor-Centered Response to Gender-Based Violence in Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste
4. Let Us Learn Madagascar

District Governor Pamela expressed, “By partnering with United Nations agencies such as Unicef USA, UNFPA and UN Women, and other recognized non-governmental organizations, Zonta has improved women’s health, provided better economic opportunities and prevented gender-based violence in over 60 countries. Since our first service project, Zonta has contributed more than US$32.7 million to our international service projects.” 

Mrs. Pamela further elaborated, “The Zonta International 2020-2022 Biennium Theme is ‘Transitions, Changes and New Opportunities’. The Zonta International District 17 Biennium Tagline is ‘The Link to the Future is NOW. Let us “Embrace the New Normal with Optimism for Women” through the 3 R’s: Recovery, Rebuild and Rehabilitate, through strong Teamwork.

In April 2022 the Zonta District 17 Leaders’ Institute (two years in the making) was finally launched,  incorporating Training sessions for potential club leaders and new members to ensure a smooth transition from one biennium to the next. 

In May 2022 District 17, together with two other Districts, has been awarded the ‘Zonta Service Recognition Award 2022’. 

In May 2022 the first District 17 Treasurer’s and Club Treasurer’s Manual has been prepared by the Biennium 2020-2022 Finance Committee,  and ready to be launched. 

Covid-19 pandemic

On 20 February 2021, The World Day of Social Justice is a time to recognize the need to promote social justice, which includes efforts to tackle issues such as gender equity, exclusion, human rights and social protections. The theme for 2021 of Zonta was “A Call for Social Justice in the Digital Economy.” This year 2022, Zonta International is prioritising “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programs. In addition, emphasis is on women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work.”

Since early 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused many to work remotely, allowing for the continuation of business activities. While this crisis has reinforced the growth and impact of the digital economy, the United Nations says it has also “laid bare and exacerbated the growing digital divide within, between and across developed and developing countries, particularly in terms of the availability, affordability and use of information and communications technology and access to the Internet, deepening existing inequalities.”

Mrs. Pamela quoted the views from Zonta International President Sharon Langenbeck, Ph.D., a two-time Awardee of the Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship, “The gender gap in the technological divide is another shortcoming the pandemic has revealed. To come back even stronger after Covid-19, governments and stakeholders must come together to find solutions to achieve sustainable development, the promotion of full employment and gender equity. Women and girls cannot be left even further behind.”

The first electronic 21st Zonta International District 17 Conference was held from Bangkok, Thailand presided by District Governor Pamela on 17-21 September 2021. Over 900 Zontians registered to this first-ever electronic District 17 Conference— the largest number of registrants to any Conference. Due to its electronic /virtual nature. Pre-Conference activities, trainings, sessions and voting for Amendment to Bylaws began on 31 July 2021 electronically and took place over a period of several weeks until its culmination on 3-6 September 2021 with the electronic elections of the 2022-2024 District officers. On a rotation basis, and elected at the 21st District Conference, the District 17 Governor-elect Ofelia Bautista is from the Philippines and the Zonta Club of Greater Rizal l Area 1.

Zonta International is hosting its 65th Convention in the captivating Hamburg, Germany from 25-28 June 2022. This will be a special convention, as it is the first one of its second century of empowering women through service and advocacy. All Zontians and guests around the globe are welcomed to participate, where voting on amendments to the Zonta International Bylaws, and elections of the Biennium 2022-2024 Zonta International Board and Nominating Committee members will take place. It is an opportunity for Zontians to rekindle old friendships and meet new friends.

How public can get involved

Zonta offers unique membership opportunities through invitation and application. Mrs. Pamela encouraged, “Join our community of members and partners worldwide and improve the lives of women and girls in your local community and around the world.”

For more information on Zonta International, our causes and programs, please checkout our website at https://www.zonta.org/

H.E. Mr. Jurin Laksanawisit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce presided over the THAIFEX-ANUGA ASIA 2022 “The Hybrid Edition” opening ceremony together with Mr. Keerati Rushchano, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Mr.Phusit Ratanakul Sereroengrit, Director General of the Department of International Trade Promotion, Mr. Sanan Angubolkul, Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Mathias Cooper, Managing Director of Cologne Messe Company Limited, senior executives of the Ministry of Commerce, and representatives from government and private agencies at IMPACT Challenger Hall 2, Muang Thong Thani. 

Mr. Jurin revealed that the food and beverage industry is an important asset for the Thai economy. Thailand is reportedly the 13th largest food exporter in the world, with the market share of more than 2.3%, and the 4th largest exporter in Asia. Although international trade is restricted due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the export of Thailand food products in the first quarter of 2022 could reach the amount of 286 billion baht, an increase of 28.8% compared to the first quarter of 2021. 

To create safety standards and enable buyers to trace the origin of the products, Mr. Jurin initiated collaboration between 4 Ministries in issuing Covid-19 Prevention Best Practice certificates to 262 factories, aiming to raise confidence and encourage Thailand to become the hub of the world’s agricultural product and food producers. Another important policy is to make Thai food become the food of the world, to lead a greater demand for Thai products and services, as well as generating more exports from Thailand to the world. 

THAIFEX – ANUGA ASIA 2022 - The Hybrid Edition

To achieve the goal “Thai Food” to “The World’s Food”, the Ministry of Commerce organised the event “THAIFEX – ANUGA ASIA 2022 - The Hybrid Edition” with the theme “Reimagine the Future of Food and Beverage Industry,” to meet the requirements of many buyers who wish to buy products from local sellers in Thailand.

“The onsite trade show will be held from May 24 – 28, 2022. Meanwhile, the buyers who are unable to travel to Thailand can visit “THAIFEX Virtual Trade Show” via the online platform at www.thaifex-vts.com. The event will be held online in parallel with the onsite event. Exclusively, buyers can use this channel to find and talk to sellers for another year for more trade opportunities. This hybrid trade show will be able to generate a trade value of more than 10,000 million baht for the Thai economy,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce said.

The data from the Department of International Trade Promotion indicates that the THAIFEX – ANUGA ASIA 2022 “The Hybrid Edition” was a combination between the event in the exhibition centre (offline) and the virtual food exhibition (online). In this year, there were a total of 1,603 offline participants, comprising 722 Thai entrepreneurs and 881 foreign entrepreneurs from 36 countries, such as East Asia, ASEAN, Europe, the United States, Australia, Latin America, the Middle East, and others. It expected to create a total value of 10,000 million baht, consisting of 9,550 million baht from the offline event and 450 million baht from the online event. More than 75,000 participants were expected to visit the event during May 24-28, 2022.

The products exhibited in the event were divided into 11 zones, comprising all types of food products, seafood, frozen food, rice, vegetables and fruits, snacks, beverages, tea and coffee, tools/appliances/equipment, as well as various services related to the food and beverage industry.

International participation

There was strong participation from overseas exhibitors. An example was the Italian Pavilion organised by the Italian Thai Agency with the support of the Embassy of Italy. The Food School Bangkok, member of Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with ALMA School offered live food demonstrations.

Brazil with a 90sqm pavilion, born out of a partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The 12 exhibitors covered products such as beef, coffee, honey, cheese, acai and amazon products, bean and pulses. All of them showcased some of Brazilian flavours that may still not be fully known by the Thai public, but aimed to cater to their tastes. Selected Thai importers and distributors also had the opportunity to meet with Brazilian exhibitors in a networking session at the official Residence of Ambassador Jose Borges dos Santos Jr. during the opening day of the fair.

Ranked as the 2nd Asia’s largest food exporter after China, the Indonesia Pavilion in partnership with Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Bangkok has 17 booths that showcased many interesting halal products like fine food, sweet and confectionary including coffee and tea that is well known for its signature. Visit arrangement was organised by Visit Tourism Indonesia Officer (VITO) Thailand.

Many countries had big pavilions like Japan, Korea, and Vietnam but there were many interesting ones to visit like Malaysia, and Turkey. Some countries like Poland promote strongly on “healthy Polish apples.”

Apart from the masks wearing, the crowded scenes on the exhibition floors offered a sense of normalcy that rivals the busy time before the pandemic. This event certainly built confidence for the return of the promising era of the exhibition industry. Many individual local Thai and international exhibitions were clinging with this sense of hope when they proudly display their products and services throughout the four day period.

The Embassy of Israel recently organised a whimsical, brain stimulating evening with the best selling author and Guinness Record holder, Eran Katz at the Alliance Francaise. In his fun and interactive way, Mr. Katz shared with the audience his secrets for accessing the brain super power.

In a fully packed room, the attendees were mesmerised with all the tricks that Mr. Katz shared on “Secret of a Super Memory”. A live demonstration was given when the author successfully remembered a series of numbers, even by reciting backwards.

Eran Katz is a leading speaker on memory and intelligence and a popular guest on TV and radio shows. He has delivered his lectures and seminars to hundreds of leading multinational companies and organisations worldwide including Motorola, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, Nokia, General Electric, Coca Cola, AT&T, Avis, The European Petrochemical Association, Singapore Government, Japan Opensense workshops, Thai Chamber of Commerce and many more.

In his youth years he worked in the cowshed on kibbutz Yahel and remembered all the cows’ names. In fulfilling his military function as a radar operator, he remembered an infinite number of frequencies and markers using extraordinary techniques that, at present, he teaches during his lectures.

Approximately 250,000 people around the world have attended one of the 1,800 entertaining lectures and seminars he has delivered. Mr. Katz also holds the Israeli Guinness Book of World Records title in memory stunts. His books, “Secrets of a Super Memory” and “Five Gifts for the Mind” have been on the bestsellers list in 4 countries. Translation rights for his books were sold in 17 languages.

Expat Life was fortunate to sit down with the renowned author to learn about his secrets of a super memory.

Do you believe that super memory can be trained? If so, how hard is it?

I not only believe, I can prove instantly anyone can do wonderful things with their memory using the right techniques. Not hard at all.

Your seminars talk about mind hacking? What do you mean?

I mean that there are tasks we can do with our brain that we either do not believe we can do, or never tried. For example we can remember hearing a number of 50 digits once and repeat it and we can erase bad memories that cause traumas. Mind hacking also means to realising the rules for making better decisions, bringing more luck, etc.

Why do so many Jews win the Noble prize? Is there the existence of Noble Prize Mind?

For several psychological and cultural reasons. The Jewish way of learning is asking questions and arguing, not taking facts for granted, challenging assumptions. This inquiry results in solving problems, researching and discovering. That is the basis of Nobel Prize. In addition the Jews were always persecuted through out history and they had to think to steps ahead before anything they did. Your brain really sharpens when you are in survival mode. Lastly, Jews always wanted to contribute and make the world better. That is why you have in Israel the highest percentage of start up companies. Innovation is engraved in the Jewish DNA.

Everyone admires a linguist? What strategies can be applied with learning new languages?

Talking without the fear to make mistakes, learning the vocabulary that is really important and necessary in real life, using mnemonics to remember words and more

For ordinary folks, ability to recall names and faces is an achievement, what tricks can be offered?

To begin with you need to be friendly and genuinely interested in people. To remember names you should observe a person and create a visual link between the name and the face. If you meet someone named ‘Mary’, you can imagine her in a wedding dress getting married.

Your extended work focus strongly on the young generation, can you share with us on what you hope to achieve.

Mainly helping them remember information for exams and reducing exam anxiety.

What more impacts do you aim to accomplish?

I just want as many people as possible to improve their lives, the way they think and to make them happy and learn with joy.

To conclude, do you have any final thoughts you would like to share with our readers?

My thoughts are not important. What is important is that everyone will always continue thinking and challenging their own beliefs, thoughts and assumptions.

@Shakuntla [email protected]

CLB Ladies in the pictures: Shakun Gurbani, Jindarat Jhumsai Na Ayudhya, Sanja Stanley, Sara Guzman, Arlene Rafiq, Esperanca Hope Pilunthanakul, Annabelle S. Daokeaw, Mukda Sorensen, Fernanda Pungs, June Khazi, Sara Guzman, Ronelle Stoessel

On March 31, 2022, Mahanakorn Partners Group’s Managing Partner Khun Vilasinee Thephasadin Na Ayuthaya was bestowed a distinguished community leadership award by the Justice Inspector-General Organization (สมาคมองค์การตรวจสอบอำนาจรัฐเพื่อประชาชน), duly represented by its President, Khun Wichittiporn Apibarnpuvanart, for her long-term service to the society in Thailand, her many charitable deeds, and her selfless dedication to the community. We could not be prouder of Khun Vilasinee, over 20 years at MPG and still leading by example! #leadership #community #society #awardwinning #charitablegiving #care #mahanakornpartnersgroup #mahanakornpartners #mpg

We are currently living in an era where climate change is an existential threat, when it comes to living a conscious life, buying new clothes from fast fashion brands constantly is not good for our planet. Buying from sustainable brands which take care of the planet and people is a really good option, but it is expensive and not everyone can afford it easily. Therefore, I am a big fan of clothes swapping. It is an economical and sustainable way to bring in something new into your wardrobe. It is a way to keep clothes in circularity for longer and avoid them going into landfills.

For those of you who are unaware of the link between climate change, landfill pollution and fashion, here are some statistics. The fast fashion industry is currently producing a staggering 100 billion items of clothes every year. That is 14 times for every human being on the planet. Most of these clothes are mass produced cheaply and the fast fashion industry is pushing consumers to keep buying more and throw away whatever they get bored of. People are throwing away clothes at an alarming rate and most of these clothes end up in a landfill.

Considering the amount of fossil fuel based fabrics in these items, it is obviously not surprising that these clothes lying in landfills are emitting a huge amount of greenhouse gasses which pollute our air which further accelerates the speed of climate change. These clothes are usually made in the global south by using cheap women labour, the women who make these clothes don’t receive a fair wage and in many cases are caught in an exploitative system where there is no escape for them. In a nutshell, we are killing our planet and stealing the future the next generation deserves by constantly shopping for more and more clothes from fast fashion brands. These brands continue to greenwash in the absence of any proper regulations.

For many of us who want to build a wardrobe consciously, there is a lot of confusion around how to do it. The simplest solution is to obviously shop less and use whatever you own more.

When choosing to buy something new, consider buying from sustainable brands. I have been committed to building a circular wardrobe for the past few years and love visiting vintage and secondhand stores and I am happy to see more options in Bangkok now.

My favourite thrift store is Suankruangoon on Soi Thonglor. Secondhand stores are an awesome way to engage in sustainable shopping, but have you heard about clothes swapping? A clothes swap is a meeting or party where people get together to swap clothing, accessories etc. It is stuff you want to get rid of, someone else can give it a new life and avoid it from going to a landfill. It is the simplest way to keep clothes circular. Clothes swap can save you a lot of money too, I found some amazing clothes at the swap I attended recently for a fraction of the price I would have normally paid for that. I understand that there could be a chance of not finding anything but most of the swap parties usually give you something for the money you spend on the ticket, so it is a win-win situation.

I recently helped Julia Panchkowry who is one of Bangkok’s best female entrepreneurs driving change towards a better future to organise a swap party. She is the owner of ‘The Banana Warrior Cafe’ which is located at EmQuartier, it is a vegan cafe with an interesting selection of desserts, drinks and food. The event was extremely successful which has inspired her to organise more such events in the future. Almost all the women who attended the swap left with a bag full of clothes and it was wonderful to see those clothes get a second life. It is a super sustainable, fun, and creative way to shop for clothes. If you want to attend the next swap event, start by cleaning your wardrobe and picking out the clothes which are in a good condition, but you have no need for it anymore. Put it in a bag and keep it ready. You can drop it at her cafe when the date is decided, buy a ticket for the event which includes 1 free Prosecco and food. Voila!! You are ready to attend a cool clothes swap party where you can drink, dance, swap clothes and enjoy the evening.

As individuals we often feel that we don’t have power to change the system but we can make a significant change collectively as consumers. Most often we confuse trends with style, something trending may not necessarily look stylish on us. Clothes we find in swap events can be styled in creative and fun ways.

The next swap event will be in April, follow @the.banana.warrior and @stylishsuitcase on Instagram for sustainable styling tips and to stay tuned for more such events.