Fifth staging of Celebrity Closet returns to MINI Ja showroom

New Wave will host its fifth staging of the highly anticipated thrift shop experience – Celebrity Closet, on Saturday, December 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the MINI Jamaica Showroom at ATL.

An annual concept started in 2017, Celebrity Closet fuses fashion, entertainment, and, most importantly, giving back. Donations from top local celebrities, influencers and everyday people are curated into selections of clothing, shoes and accessories for all ages with prices starting as low as $100.

This year, part proceeds will be donated towards supporting and building a relationship with the Alpha School of Music, particularly the School of Music. Last year’s beneficiary, The Angelic Ladies Society – a group that focused on the holistic care, development and empowerment of young women in Jamaica’s state facilities – were the recipients of $400,000.

Event Conceptualiser and New Wave director, Lindsey Lodenquai, shared, “Not only is thrifting and sustainable living and spending good for the environment good for your pocket, but at Celebrity Closet patrons can shop knowing they are giving back to those in need. This has been at the core and foundation of the Celebrity Closet since day one, and this is something we are so extremely proud of, humbled by and grateful for.”

Through this charitable initiative, supporting and uplifting the creative industries has always been a number one priority. “Uplifting youth through creativity is what this initiative really is all about at the core. Causes and communities that we have supported in the past include Denham Town, Trench Town Art Centre and The Angelic Ladies Society, and it’s been a joy to see the real, tangible impact we’ve been able to have through fostering these connections and supporting these causes. We’ve started building a great relationship with the Alpha Institute overall and are looking forward to continuing that, and furthermore, supporting the empowerment of creativity in our nation’s youth,” Yannick Reid, director of New Wave’s parent company, Very Culture, and creative director for Grammy-nominated reggae artiste Protoje, shared enthusiastically.

Donations from local celebrities are the fuel that drives this event. In the past donations have come from celebrities such as Agent Sasco, Jesse Royal, Sean Paul, Buju Banton, Lila Iké, Koffee, Protoje, Bootleg Rocstar, Kaci Fennell, Denyque and Yendi Phillipps. This year New Wave has partnered with Kaboom Nation, a local entertainment consultancy agency, which has an impressive and extensive list of artistes, presenters, hosts, disc jockeys and entertainers as part of their network, to provide apparel items for the event.

The 2021 staging of Celebrity Closet saw an expansion of the original model to include a live DJ set, art on exhibit, additional vendors and MINI test-drives. This year will build on the usual excitement, thanks to event partners, sponsors and the vision of the dynamic New Wave and Very Culture teams. In addition to a selection of donations from some of Jamaica’s favourite celebs, this year’s staging will also include vendors such as Dough Jamaica and Loaded Food Truck, and live DJ sets by DJ Anash and Alpha School of Music’s very own DJ Luke. It was important to the team to use the Celebrity Closet platform as a way to highlight and celebrate the talents coming out of the Alpha Institute by giving DJ Luke his own set at the event. “The Alpha School of Music is so appreciative of our partnership with New Wave with whom we share a commitment to contemporary music training. New Wave’s Celebrity Closet donation will support instrument and technology instruction for Alpha students. Being a musician today requires an understanding of both and we are grateful to work with New Wave which has consistently been at the forefront of Jamaican music and culture. Many thanks for the support!” Gay Magnus, bandmaster, Alpha School of Music, shared.

The event is sponsored by MINI, VM Group, Pepsi, Worthy Park, Kaboom Nation, Itopia, Cowork and Oh Zeen.