Pop-up shop adds bling to summer wardrobes

Sharyn Gosnell from Women's Refuge outside the soon-to-be home of one of Whanganui's first pop-up shops, opening later this month. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY

Ladies, here's a chance to zhoosh up your summer wardrobe, and to add some sparkly bling too.

Whanganui's Women's Refuge is opening a pop-up shop this month, featuring high quality women and children's clothes, shoes and accessories.

Spokeswoman Sharyn Gosnell said the shop will open in the old New South Wales bank building at 41 Victoria Ave on November 21.

And for those with already bulging wardrobes, the refuge is seeking donations of items to stock the shop with.

"We have donation boxes at various locations around the city - at the Wanganui Chronicle, Paua Childhood Education office in Park Pl, and at most lawyers," Mrs Gosnell said.

A movie night is also planned for the evening of November 17 at Embassy 3. A $20 ticket buys a ticket to Fantastic Beasts (a prequel to the Harry Potter series), plus wine, beer and nibbles will be served. Tickets are available from The Edge, Avenue Choices and from the refuge offices at 76 Guyton Street.

"We've never done a pop-up shop before but hope to do two a year if all goes well - summer and winter," Mrs Gosnell said.

"We receive some funding - enough for about 49 cases a year. We currently deal with 1500 cases a year. So we rely heavily on support from the community. "

A feature of the shop is a chance to have a stylist visit your home. "It's a chance to learn about colours, mixing and matching accessories, that sort of thing." Every customer who spends more than $70 will go into the draw for the consultation.

Mrs Gosnell said while pop-up shops were not new, they were not common locally. They and other fundraising ventures were a sign of the times for largely unfunded organisations like Women's Refuge. "Finding new and innovative ways to raise funds is necessary - I think people understand that," she said.

"We also distribute clothing and items to women in need. We do aim to hold items for shop stock but never if they are needed by someone."

The refuge helps to empower women to leave abusive relationships and set-up in a new and safe environment. That may mean helping to find housing and essential items.

"We are incredibly grateful to people who donate items. We rely on community support and hope the pop-up shop will be a fun project as well as helping us to deliver more services."

Donations of clothing and accessory items will continue through until the shop opens, after which donations can be left there. Any unsold items will be distributed to those in need or added to the stock for next year's pop-up shop.

Did you know?:
One in three women experience psychological or physical abuse from their partners
On average 14 women, six men and 10 children are killed by a family member each year
Police are called to about 200 domestic violence situations a day - that's one every seven minutes
Police estimate only 18 percent of domestic violence incidents are reported
Eighty-four percent of those arrested for domestic violence are men; 16 percent are women