Svopaona (previously named Swap Party) is an event where you can bring your clothes that no longer fit, or whose style you simply don’t like anymore and exchange it for new pieces. This initiative was started by KOR, an association based in Varaždin, Croatia. Svopaona is held twice a year: an autumn edition in October, and a summer edition in May.
What does Svoapaona look like?
The latest edition of Svopaona was held on May 10th, 2025, at Centar za odgoj i obrazovanje Tomislav Špoljar in Varaždin, Croatia. There was a turnout of around 250 swappers, all of whom found amazing new items to take home. This is not only a place to swap clothing, but it also creates a comfortable environment to talk and socialize with like-minded people. Apart from the main activity of searching through racks of clothing, Svopaona offers a kid’s corner which holds creative textile workshops for the kids, supervised by animators allowing the parents to swap in peace. Refreshments and homemade snacks are also available in the ‘chill zone’, provided by a team who put in their time to make the atmosphere as welcoming as possible. The event was run entirely by ambitious volunteers with nothing but a boatload of good will and a desire to make a change. This edition of Svopaona was the best one yet, according to the organiser and president of KOR Tena Terzić, with even more improvements being planned for the future. Swappers were full of positive feedback, such as the clothing being of great quality, the kids corner allowing them to look through the assortment more thoroughly and the volunteers being enthusiastic, charismatic and kind, creating a friendly vibe for the event.
How does it work?
When you find a piece of clothing in your closet that you no longer wear because you don’t like it, it doesn’t fit you or just doesn’t quite feel like you anymore, you bring it to Svopaona and exchange it for tokens at the entrance. Every piece of clothing you bring is worth one green token, and every green token is worth one new piece of clothing. If you bring more than 10 items of clothing, you get an orange token with which you can take as many new pieces as you want, no limit. You can bring anything from clothing, purses, accessories and shoes, while things they don’t accept are underwear, bras, socks, and toys. The clothes you bring must be washed, wearable, not damaged and not too old. After check-in, the clothes you brought are sent to the back where they are sorted by the volunteers. In case they find stained, ripped or scuffed clothing, the clothes are immediately separated to be donated to Humana Nova. This process makes sure that your old clothes get recycled instead of just ending up in a junkyard. When you look through the racks, boxes and tables of clothing and find things you like, you exchange them back for tokens at the checkout. If you find more pieces than you have tokens, don’t worry! Every extra piece can be taken home with a donation of 1 euro. If you have some tokens left at the end, you can come back in a few hours when the selection changes or save them for next time.
Who is the organizer?
KOR – Udruga za poticanje kreativnosti, održivosti i ravnopravnosti is an organization based in Varaždin, whose goal is promoting and improving sustainable and equitable development of the local community and the development of active citizenship. They have been an active organisation from 2022, holding sustainability workshops, creative workshops, swap parties (currently known as Svopaona) and many other events. The KOR association is a prime example that nothing but good will, enthusiasm and sense of community is necessary to make a significant change.
Written by Hana Veinović
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