How thrifting has created a new wave of businesses and creative expression
TL;DR: We all know thrifting is popular with Gen Z. It’s cost effective, it offers an ethical and accessible way to shop amid concerns about fashion’s impact on the environment [our piece on the price of fast fashion], and it appeals to the generation’s desire for “novelty.” With further uncertainty being driven by tariffs and inflation–and 98% of clothing made outside the United States–what initially started as a trend appears to be evolving to a movement that isn’t slowing anytime soon.
Unsurprisingly, many creators incorporate thrifting into their content, but what has been more interesting to note are two compelling evolutions: 1) revenue streams have emerged in fresh, new ways [think upcycling, auctions, podcasts] and 2) innovative in-person experiences that connect creators with their communities [think hunting, bespoke travel experiences].
With this in mind, we’ve hand picked 3 creators–an artist [TikTok], an influencer [Instagram] and a journalist [Substack]–who we consider to be at the forefront of this movement. And whether or not you give them a follow [or a collab!], we recommend checking them out to be inspired by their creativity and business savvy.
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🎨 Sophie Tea, Artist
Sophie is a fine artist who has long shared her work and creative process online, but what made her TikTok go viral is her wildly popular Charity Shop Friday series. In the series Sophie goes to “charity shops” [aka thrift stores], buys an item and repaints it. Once the item is ready, Sophie gives the upcycled item back to the store, sharing the store location with her followers and sells it to one of them with all of the proceeds going to the store. As Megan Collins put it, “This is a good example of my larger macro prediction ‘AI could never’ that as AI does more “art” the art that people actually are moved by will be more process oriented & provenance will matter more to social currency than simple possession.”
→What to watch: Sophie is an artist at her core and this series happens to be one expression that supports her larger message of supporting inclusivity through her work. The inclusivity comes into play by helping those in need and bringing her audiences along with her–there’s even a form on her site to suggest where in the world she should go next–and then it comes full circle because the upcycled pieces become new artforms in and of themselves.
📸 Krista Lavrusik, Influencer
Krista is a Millennial fashion influencer and mom of 4 boys (!) who styles her thrifted outfits after real fashion photoshoots, largely from the 90s and largely inspired by Ralph Lauren [psttt any Ralph Lauren employees following here, check her out for a collab omg]. Besides her fun, high energy vibe, she makes fashion feel truly accessible and doable in real life. In addition to her bread and butter social content consisting of thrifting hauls, thrifting vlogs and styling videos, Krista offers curated thrifting bundles to her audience and most recently, she partnered with Go Ahead Tours to take a group of her followers on a thrifting trip to Paris. Too cool.
→What to watch: Having known of Krista for years as I went to graduate school with her husband [hi Vadim!], it’s been so fun to watch her truly put in the work year after year and see her rise. This is not an overnight success story, Krista’s been working at her craft and refining it–while being a mom no less–and the payoff she’s seeing now has been hard earned. And as a result, she’s building a brand with staying power, so really guys, keep an eye out for her! I wouldn’t be shocked if you saw her in a magazine spread in the next couple years.
🎙️ Emily Stochl, Pre-Loved by Emily Stochl
Emily’s Substack, Pre-Loved by Emily Stochl,is a must read for die hard thrifters and second hand shoppers. Being a journalist, Emily shares in-depthcommentary on the latest secondhand trends,curating great secondhand findsandconversations with industry experts every week.
Emily also recently talked to friend of MTD, Sydney Stanback, Global Trends & Insights Lead at Pinterest, about Pinterest’s Festival Fashion Trend Report done in collaboration with Coachella. [check out our highlights / takeaways via our #ForYou, From Them series by Kait Richmond, including IRL event ideas, everyday eco living and showcasing creativity]
→What to watch: Resource. Curation. Commentary. For an existing and growing, highly passionate community. Need we say more? It’s possible these days to literally build a media empire around anything [check out our piece ‘The latest media trend: don’t just start a podcast, create a network’] and Emily’s an excellent example of that. Her focus is super niche and therefore you don’t even need to be a thrifting expert to know after a quick skim of her Substack, this woman knows her stuff. Check her out for the substance and the approach.
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In the paid portion on Substack, we identify 3 trends driving the tactics of the creators we’ve outlined above, and how you–or the brand you run–can effectively capitalize on them. Check it out here.