Coming out of the lockdown, filled with many add-to-cart online shopping moments & ‘What I Bought Recently’ Tiktok hauls, an itch to go out and shop the old fashioned way grew. Fortunately enough, malls and establishments opened up, not only that but the thrill of the beloved, ukay-ukay can be done in person again.
As of late, there’s this trend on Tiktok called ‘de-influencing’ , wherein users suggest buying a product that would last longer rather than ones you throw out at the end of the year. With that, a lot of consumers, especially fashion & beauty enthusiasts, began to make it a habit to shop wisely.
Luckily, vintage community pop-ups have been happening left and right, from up north (Season Pass) to down south (South Trading Post), giving people a chance to cop pieces for their latest fit by buying second hand.
We sat down with fashion enthusiasts such as Nirvana Collective, a circular fashion advocate, the La Union based sister duo Past Lives PH, Patty & Cata Esperon, and Frances Beltran, a fashion and beauty content creator to further dive into the rise of vintage community pop-ups.
Circular Fashion
Inspired by BØRNS’ Past Lives lyric, “sweeter when it’s finally found” where the sisters, got their shop namesake from as they both aim to:
“Celebrate every item’s past and provide them with new homes, to honor their history and secure their future.”
The La Union based sisters started joining pop-ups around the Metro early this year, marking their debut in Season Pass pop-ups, and were pleased to discover a community who’s equally enthusiastic about sustainable fashion.
Having joined a lot of pop-ups since then, one of them being Nirvana Collective’s, Patty & Cata has only fueled their passion further. As they are in the right place, especially with Nirvana Collective championing making second hand shopping a thing to most people as they make it more accessible.
Now with Nirvana Collective’s own spot in Poblacion, up in the Nirvana Penthouse, a place with different merchants. Not only can they sell and meet people who are into vintage & curated items, but also aim for a better second hand shopping experience.
Instagram: @nirvanacollective.co
Unique Pieces
Starting her fashion journey at a young age, Frances Beltran, knows not only a thing or two about style, but also the ins and outs of the places to get the best pieces from.
Instagram: @frances.beltran
Having attended several pop-ups around different cities, Frances makes it a habit to research which brands and merchants she’ll probably purchase from, stating that:
“It can be very easy as a customer to fall into the trap of impulse buying which is just a stone’s throw away from falling into a spiral of massive overconsumption because of the overwhelming amount of affordable, trendy choices.”
As a response, Frances explains that she tends to purchase pieces that mostly resonate with her current personal style. “A lot of the time, I can recognize that a piece is fun, trendy and appealing, but not something I would wear more than once or twice” , she elaborated.
On that same note, the Past Lives sisters share the sentiment that as they source new pieces for their collection, they tend to lean more towards items that can shine easily with the right styling.
“We like to curate pieces that when put together, feel like they could have belonged to a person’s wardrobe.”
Fashion Community
Personal styles and preferences aside, fashion enthusiasts are bonded together by their appreciation of the art form. One thing that pop-ups have continued to do is to connect the threads of different styles together.
For Frances, her favorite thing about pop – ups is the community it forms, she says: “It’s a whole bonding activity on its own, and there aren’t many other spaces like that in the city.” Along the same lines, Nirvana Collective hopes to host more pop-ups around different cities with different brands.
As for newcomers to the pop – up scene, Patty and Cata, they explain that getting to know and meet other brands has become their inspiration, noting that meeting like minded individuals and being a part of this community as their highlights to their experience.
“There’s a feeling of community, great food, and good vibes!”
@pastlives__ph
Ukay – ukay culture has come a long way since then and as Frances notes: “the rise in interest for vintage/curated ukay pieces definitely mirrors the recent wave of conscious fashion.” With this in mind, the future of community pop – ups will definitely continue to grow. Especially when organizers put their personal spin to it, with Good Old Days on their third run and Shaira Luna’s annual Creatives Closet Sale to name a few.
As a whole, the future of pop – ups looks promising and for Frances, she sees an appeal on the possibility of rent culture in clothing, stating that this community has a knack for not only eyeing unique pieces but also for smart spending. She further explains:
“The thing about these community thrift pop-ups today is that people who frequent these want unique items while getting them at the best possible price. They will carry that mindset with them as they dress for weddings, bachelorette parties and so on!”
Make sure to check out Nirvana Collective and Past Lives PH for their latest collections drops and further news on community pop – ups and Frances Beltran on her socials for her latest fashion content.
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