Suzanne Agasi ’93: Save Money. Look Good. Swap Clothes.
In unreliable economic times, when jobs are hard to come by and saving is the new spending, it’s not unlikely that what might have been a new pair of shoes becomes next month’s rent check. But just because you’re not splurging on the latest spring fashions doesn’t mean you can’t still look your best. Suzanne Agasi ’93 has found a fun and easy way to look good, save a buck, and benefit local charities.
Suzanne is the founder of Clothing Swap, a business that hosts events giving women an opportunity to get together, get pampered, and exchange clothing. With a reasonable cover charge ($10–$25) and a minimum of ten articles of unwanted clothing, women can participate in a “girls night out” that won’t leave them empty handed. After the event, clothes that haven’t been swapped are donated to local shelters and other charitable organizations.
Since her first swap in 1994 with a few close friends and an open closet, Suzanne has hosted more than 200 gatherings in the San Francisco Bay area, with up to 400 women attending. With cocktails, a spa treatment, and racks of clothing to browse through, women can shop till they drop without spending a fortune.
“We wear 20 percent of the clothes in our closet 80 percent of the time,” says Suzanne. “If you don’t wear it, why not donate it?” Though most of Suzanne’s events are for women, she has also held special clothing swaps for coed groups, plus-sized women, and teenaged girls.
With the motto “Be Good. Be Green. Be Glam!” Suzanne has helped women realize that recycling can be as glamorous as something new with tags. “Couture karma” is how Suzanne describes the atmosphere at her events. “It can be Prada or Old Navy; it’s all about women feeling good and looking beautiful.”
Suzanne hopes that Clothing Swap becomes a nationwide success, and is planning on hosting her second New York swap this summer to coincide the movie premiere of Sex and the City 2.—Cass Sanford ’10
April 16, 2012
