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Vintage with Love Levels up Iconic Big Sale by Launching The Big Week; Celebrating More Than a Decade of Fashion, Community and Impact
This August, Vintage with Love will bring together thousands of shoppers, volunteers, donors, partners and changemakers for the launch of The Big Week, a bold new evolution of one of Cape Town’s most anticipated annual fundraising events.
Featuring the much-loved Big Sale alongside the inaugural Big Show, The Big Week is a celebration of sustainable fashion, conscious consumption and collective impact, proving that small actions can create extraordinary change. The Big Sale will be hosted at the Cape Town Cruise Terminal, whilst the Big Show will take place at Beluga located just above the Terminal.
Founded over a decade ago by Leigh Ord and Jacquie Myburgh, Vintage with Love was built on a simple but powerful belief: that pre-loved fashion could be transformed into meaningful impact. What began as a community-driven initiative has grown into a movement that has raised millions of rand for literacy and education-focused charities across South Africa while championing a more conscious approach to fashion consumption.
Today, that mission remains as relevant as ever.
Every year, thousands of donated garments find new homes, giving clothing a second life while generating critical funding for educational initiatives that create lasting change in communities across the country.
“This year, we wanted to take something big that we’ve been doing for years and make it even bigger,” says Taylea du Toit, Senior Marketing Manager at Vintage with Love.
“We’re a small team with big dreams, working towards an even bigger impact. Every day we see how small acts can create a BIG impact. How one donated dress, one purchased shirt or one person choosing to get involved can create a ripple effect far greater than they realise. That’s the thinking behind The Big Week” says du Toit.
It’s a celebration of the community, generosity and shared purpose that make this work possible, and our biggest opportunity yet to raise funds for the causes we care about.” adds Tracey Butler- Managing Director
At its core, The Big Week celebrates sustainability in its truest form.
By extending the life cycle of clothing, the Big Sale helps reduce textile waste and encourages more conscious consumption. But for Vintage with Love, sustainability extends beyond the environmental conversation. Every garment purchased also contributes to social sustainability by helping fund literacy and education programmes that empower young South Africans and create opportunities for future generations.
The first chapter of The Big Week is The Big Show, taking place on 20 August 2026.
Created in partnership with Bridget Pickering from Ruff Tung/Therapy Boutique, the fashion show will bring together local brands, designers and changemakers who are actively championing sustainability within the South African fashion industry.
The event has been designed to celebrate innovation, spotlight local talent and create a platform for important conversations around the future of fashion. Most importantly, it provides another opportunity to raise awareness and funds for the causes that sit at the heart of Vintage with Love’s work.
The second chapter is The Big Sale, returning during the final weekend of August 2026. For more than a decade, the event has transformed donated fashion into funding for literacy and education initiatives, while giving thousands of garments a second life.
“The impact of The Big Week extends far beyond fashion,” says Debbie Smarts, Head of Fundraising at Vintage with Love.
“Every item donated, every ticket purchased and every garment sold helps fund literacy and education programmes that change lives. What might feel like a small action to one person becomes books in classrooms, opportunities for children and brighter futures for communities. That’s what makes this week so powerful.”
Together, The Big Show and The Big Sale form The Big Week, Cape Town’s Most Meaningful Week in Sustainable Fashion.
It is a week dedicated to celebrating the idea that meaningful change rarely starts with grand gestures. It starts with people doing small things with great intention. A donated shirt. A purchased ticket. A community showing up.
And when thousands of people come together around a shared purpose, the impact becomes something truly big.
For those who believe fashion should do more than look good, this is a week not to be missed.
Tickets are now available for Vintage with Love’s The Big Week 2026. For full event details, including the fundraising fashion show, programme highlights and shopping experiences, visit https://www.vintagewithlove.co.za/event-details/the-big-week-2026?srsltid=AfmBOorSUZPVFaqKppABsC9YdP_e2Nsi5X6Osqk2BccX4m6TXtNZp7u9.