As 2021 begins to wind down and the secondhand market continues to ramp up, consumers whose closets are filled with firsthand, full-price clothing are becoming fewer and fewer.
And in a market that has, at times, suffered from a humdrum of uninspiring product, more shoppers are reveling in the hunt that vintage and consignment stores provide. Whether it’s Chanel that’s a season old or Sergio Rossi heels Gabrielle Union was sporting on her Instagram, finding the goods at a price more can afford has become a retail delight unto itself, and online vintage stores are delivering on that experience. More and more, diverse founders are bringing more diverse assortments to the space.
Here, WWD checks in with four Black female entrepreneurs in the vintage and consignment game about how they source inventory, their thoughts on sustainability, the new consumer and more.
Thrilling
Thrilling founder Shilla Kim-Parker.
WWD: What made you get into the vintage business?
Shilla Kim-Parker: I grew up thrift shopping in NYC — I love the treasure hunt, it is absolutely about the journey just as much as the destination. And once you fall in love with this way of shopping, and you learn how devastating the mass apparel industry is for the environment,
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