In preparation for their spring fashion show, Picture Perfecting Modeling Troupe opened a pop-up thrift shop at the 1104 S. Wabash Ave. building in the Conway Center on Saturday, Dec. 2.
This event not only helps to raise funds for the group’s spring fashion show but also allows students to add to their closets in sustainable and inexpensive ways.
The group has also hosted pop-up thrift shop events to fundraise in past semesters.
“This is about the fifth or sixth time that we’ve done this event,” said Makayla Cobbs-Ogundipe, a junior marketing major and event coordinator of Picture Perfect. “We tell everybody in our club in advance to bring in any clothes that they have over break and to bring them into us, and we just set up the day of and have everybody come in.”
It was a close-knit event, as there were few people coming in at a time. E-board members were helpful to anyone looking to view, try on or purchase clothing. Whether shoppers were in the market for formal clothing or more relaxed clothing, the pop-up had it all.
“It’s important to be able to have access to nice clothes that you feel comfortable and confident in and they don’t cost an arm and a leg,” Cobbs-Ogundipe said.
Anyce Paul-Emile, a junior dance major and president of Picture Perfect, is looking forward to raising as many funds as possible for future events hosted by the organization.
“We already have everything for our fashion show this fall, which is Dec. 9 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.,” Paul-Emile said. “We’re having another fashion show next semester and all the money that’s coming from this will go straight towards that.”
Columbia clubs and departments have hosted sustainable fashion events before, like the Fashion Department’s “Nothing New November” event and the interdisciplinary sustainability projects between the Math and Sciences and Fashion Studies Departments.
Kenli Mays, a junior fashion design major, and Life Copening, a first-year Fashion Studies major, found out about the pop-up thrift shop from their Fashion Principles professor, Jacob Victorine.
Mays is aware of the environmental impact that shopping fast fashion causes, which is why she decided to purchase thrifted items at this event.
“People don’t really realize how much pollution comes with a lot of fast fashion. Recycling the clothes that we already have would at least kind of help save some of that pollution along with people working in sweatshops,” Mays said. “A lot of styles and fashion are reused and I feel like thrifting is the best way to go with getting vintage styles.”
Copening believes there is a “big importance” to shopping sustainably regarding the environment.
“It’s sickening that [the environment] is getting destroyed by a lot of fast fashion and the water pollution and everything about it,” Copening said.
To attend and support the Dreamscape Fashion Show on Saturday, Dec. 9, visit Engage to register for a ticket.
