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Elliott J. Frieze, Welsh fashion designer, launches Oxfam fashion boutique in Cardiff with host of Welsh celebrities in support

An Oxfam Boutique has arrived in Cardiff! A special launch event took place on Thursday 8th October with talented Welsh designer Elliott J. Frieze at the store on St Mary's St in the Welsh capital.

This is the first Oxfam Boutique to open outside London and these Oxfam shops are targeted at the fashion market and at people who care about both what their clothes look like and the impact of their clothes on people and the environment. They provide shoppers with unique style, beautiful one-off clothes, and the assurance that every item will raise money to fight poverty around the world.

Val Griffiths, Oxfam Area Trading Manager for Wales, said, "These boutiques are all about creating a great shopping experience. Oxfam has always been a place where stylish people hunt for interesting items to create their look, the boutiques are set to make that even easier. Our customers have told us they want a more contemporary shopping experience, and these new shops are set to turn the traditional concept of an Oxfam shop on its head."

Elliott J Frieze, a Cardiff born fashion designer who has modeled for Paul Smith and a collection of his designs have been worn by Yasmin le Bon, Lily Cole and Erin O'Connor at London Fashion Week, attended to launch this exciting venture.

Elliott J Frieze said, "It's very exciting for me to come back home to Cardiff to help launch such a great fashion venture. I've seen the boutiques in London and I think that they're really raising the bar of ethical and sustainable fashion. You've got fantastic and interesting one off designs being created from donated clothes, sold to raise money for Oxfam. It's a win-win for everybody!".

Elliott J. Frieze has also just announced that he will be donating a four pieces from his Premier collection under the Elliott J. Frieze Brand post London Fashion Week in February 2010 that will consist of both menswear and womenswear.

Several glamorous Welsh celebrities such as Cerys Matthews, Amy Wadge, and Sarra Elgan, to name a few have, donated items of clothing in support of its opening.

Sarra Elgan said, "I'm really excited about the opening of the first Oxfam boutique in Cardiff. I love finding designer bargains and these type of second hand boutiques thrive in cities like London and New York - so to have one here on our doorstep where we can shop for unique items and help others in a small way is fantastic - I'm sure my friends and I will be regulars!"

And Lucy Owen, who presents the nightly news programme BBC Wales Today and consumer show X-Ray for BBC Cymru Wales, has donated a Julien Macdonald dress to the new Oxfam Boutique in Cardiff.

Lucy Owen said, "This is a really great idea - boutique shopping for a great cause. It's the kind of place where you could find fabulous, original or one-off pieces. It's really exciting going somewhere like this, where you never know what little gem you could pick-up."

Also during the launch event reworked pieces were unveiled, created by fashion students from the BA (Hons) Fashion Design course at the University of Wales, Newport from an array of Oxfam donated items ranging from evening gowns to duvet covers. They will be on sale at the Oxfam Boutique in Cardiff. This is the first project of the partnership between the Oxfam Boutique in Cardiff and University of Wales, Newport fashion students.

The Boutique will sell clothes, jewellery and accessories that are a mixture of high end donated items, restyled items, Fair Trade and sustainable new fashion.