Oodi lends designer clothes to library card holders

Most of the clothes available from the Clothing Library at Helsinki’s Oodi central library were borrowed within its first day, Yle reports.

The pilot project opened on Wednesday and offers clothing designed by five designers and artists. The garments are made from recycled materials and can be borrowed free of charge with a library card.

A total of 58 items will be available, although not all of them have yet been placed on loan. The clothing is located on Oodi’s second floor, and the loan period is one week. Borrowers must return the garments to Oodi and take care of them themselves. The library checks the clothing before it is returned.

The designers are Onerva Luoma, Mirei Kato, Jere Vilo, Henna Lampinen and Muotikummitus. They drew inspiration from literature when creating their collections.

Visitors to Oodi welcomed the idea, particularly for borrowing clothes for celebrations or other special occasions. Kristiina Heinonen said she was drawn to the individuality of the garments and would consider borrowing something for a special event.

Satu Haime said it was environmentally beneficial for the clothes to be used by several people. She also considered designer clothing a suitable choice because such items might otherwise have limited further use in a person’s wardrobe.

The Clothing Library will operate as a six-month pilot project.