Abandon Ship Apparel £13k donation to Shelter

A designer clothing label has donated £13,000 of jackets to a homelessness charity.

Housing and homelessness charity in shock as £13,000 of designer jackets donated .

Streetwear brand Abandon Ship Apparel has given 200 unworn jackets worth £65 each to Shelter Scotland’s network of charity shops.

The label said a design mix up meant the wrong fasteners were stitched on to the jackets so they decided to give them to charity rather than waste them.

Shelter will sell the jackets for £25 each and say for everyone sold, they will be able to help three households facing homelessness with advice and support.

The charity said it was in shock at the donation and thanked the label for its generosity.

Last month, Shelter’s Aberdeen shop took in more than £1,000 in a day after a host of designer clothes - including suits, shoes and shirts made by Vivienne Westwood, Peter Van Holland and Hope and Glory - were donated anonymously.

Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “When Abandon Ship Apparel contacted us about this donation we were in shock. To donate just a couple of these jackets would have been generous, but 200 is remarkable considering their value and the brand name.

“We can’t thank them enough for their generosity. The jackets are currently available in Shelter Scotland shops across the country and we encourage customers to act quickly as we expect them to sell out within days, if not hours.”

Jen Fisher from Abandon Ship Apparel, said: “These jackets are in great condition and have been a hit with our customers. A slight mix up at our factory means that the fasteners on the jackets are not the ones our designers intended, but the good news is that we’ve been able to donate them to Shelter Scotland to support their great work.

“As a brand that is based in the East End of Glasgow we see a lot of poverty and homelessness on our doorstep, so Shelter Scotland were a natural choice for the donation.

“We know that they will be able to use the funds raised to make a significant impact in people’s lives.”

Last Year Abandon Ship won the ‘Scottish Retailer of The Year’ award at the Scottish Fashion Awards as well as the Online Retailer of the Year at the Herald Fashion Awards.