Brightly colored clothes, well-loved jewelry and new shoes — Fashion Club’s first-ever Flea Market garnered a large and enthusiastic crowd at the Gardner Ballroom.
The booths were set up by members of the club and community. Some booths consisted of bright dresses, flannels, punk jackets and even handmade items. Live music was performed by the vice president of the club, Jasmine Vera, and attendee Logan Gonzales.
According to club president Emily Ashton, a sophomore general studies major from Eugene, Oregon, this event was inspired by the club’s message of sustainable fashion, a lack of decent options for thrifting in St. George and politics.
“We’ve been thinking about doing this event for a while now, but the initial motivation was to just introduce more people to sustainable fashion,” Ashton said. “Politics influence my daily fashion decisions, to be honest. I just think the culture of the world can be so greedy and focused on money, and this is just a way we’re helping.”
One way students were encouraged to consider the impact of their fashion choices was through a clothing exchange. Several tables were set up near the dressing room where students could drop off clothes they no longer wanted or needed and exchange them for other clothes available. Students added sparkly skirts and once-worn T-shirts, then left with new jackets and leggings.
Vendors, such as Gwen Turner, a freshman art major from Lehi, a member of the Fashion Club and owner of Lovebug Accessories, also encouraged students to think critically about ethical sourcing. Her jewelry is fashioned from the wings of butterflies and thrifted beads.
“I used to work at a conservatory up north where there were butterflies,” Turner said. “They [butterflies] lived out their whole lives naturally, and so once they died a natural death, you could collect them [wings] and purchase them from the gift shop.”
Turner presented necklaces, bracelets, bookmarks and more fashioned from a variety of these ethically-sourced butterfly wings. She even offered discounts to interested students for the handmade items toward the end of the event.
Anneli Rasi-Koskinen, a representative of the Fashion Club and freshman art major from Riverton, said she was inspired to join the event because she runs a Depop where she sells thrifted items. Her booth consisted of many thrifted items, including brand new shoes, pins, jewelry and a leather jacket, each at a relatively low price.
“Honestly, we should all be more involved in fashion and sustainability, and I think that our Fashion Club does great with that,” Rasi-Koskinen said.
Information on future Fashion Club events can be found on their Instagram page. The club is always welcoming new members.
“Fashion is supposed to be a way to express yourself,” Ashton said. “You can reflect a lot of your beliefs and your style and your taste [through fashion].”
