Project: Thread Together
Background
Thread Together is an Australian social enterprise that has been redistributing new, unused clothing donated by fashion brands to people experiencing hardship since 2012. By partnering with over 100 brands and more than 1,500 community organisations nationally, Thread Together has provided millions of garments to Australians in need always new, always donated, always free.
At 2 Lee Street in Haymarket, a vacant retail tenancy was transformed into a welcoming community clothing hub through a meanwhile use partnership with TOGA Group and Storepro. Since 2022, the space has been carefully designed to feel retail-like rather than charitable offering new, donated clothing to people experiencing hardship in an environment that prioritises dignity, choice, and self-worth.
Challenge
Thread Together believes people experiencing hardship should be treated with dignity, respect and care, and this principle shapes the way the organisation delivers its service. Working with Showpo, Thread Together set out to create positive shopping experiences in beautifully designed retail spaces offering high-quality new clothing and genuine choice, rather than the transactional experience often associated with emergency clothing relief.
The challenge was not simply providing access to clothing but finding an appropriate space from which to deliver this experience in a welcoming, empowering and respectful way.
At the same time, fashion brands were donating millions of dollars’ worth of new clothing that risked going to waste, while retail spaces across cities often sat vacant. Thread Together recognised an opportunity to activate unused space, redirect quality clothing, and restore confidence in people at vulnerable moments.
Solution
A vacant retail tenancy was transformed into a community clothing hub where new, donated garments are curated, sorted, and displayed for people referred by local community organisations creating a dignified, choice-based experience that goes far beyond a handout.
“This feels like a shop… I haven’t chosen my own clothes in years.”
She left standing taller, more confident, and visibly lighter.
Impact
Catalytic – The Haymarket hub demonstrated that Meanwhile Use retail space can support a place-based, consistent model of community service, not just emergency response. By proving the concept at relatively low risk, it has helped Thread Together develop a scalable framework for activating vacant properties as clothing hubs that can be replicated in other locations.
Transformational – For more than 500 individuals, the hub replaced a transactional experience with one grounded in choice and dignity. People arrived referred by community organisations and left with well-fitting, quality clothing and something harder to measure restored confidence and a renewed sense of self. As one visitor quietly said after browsing the space: “This feels like a shop… I haven’t chosen my own clothes in years.”
Collaborative – The project brought together Thread Together, TOGA Group, Storepro, local community organisations, fashion brands, and volunteers in a shared model of delivery. Each partner contributed something distinct, space, design, logistics, referrals, labour creating a whole greater than the sum of its parts and deepening engagement across sectors.
Amplified – Beyond the individuals served, the hub diverted quality garments from landfill, strengthening the case for a more circular fashion system. Volunteers gained meaningful participation, partner organisations saw stronger client engagement, and the surrounding community benefited from an activated, purposeful space that would otherwise have sat empty.
Results
Since opening in 2022, the Thread Together Haymarket hub has served more than 500 individuals, providing new clothing with dignity and choice at the centre of every interaction. What began as a vacant shopfront is now a thriving community space, proof that Meanwhile Use can turn idle retail into lasting social, human, and environmental value.
