By Where some see hand-me-downs and disregarded clothing, others see fashion, sustainability and community.
Two times a month, a “safe haven” for those who share a common love for fashion and up-cycling takes shape in Long Beach State’s Thrift Club.
Founded in 2023, five original board members under the leadership of Club President and Founder Samuel Moreno, 20, set out with the goals of bringing awareness to the fashion industry and creating a safe space for avid thrifters and crafters alike.
“I was like, ‘We really need a cool, fashionable, fun community,’” Moreno said. “I thought this was the perfect thing, it’s environmentally conscious, gives students an alternative who have little money, and it’s just a cool place to hang out.”
Thrift Club officers model in a magazine photoshoot for THRIFT Vol. 1 at the Urban Americana antique mall. The volume was released publicly at the club’s Flea Market & Magazine Launch event on Feb. 21 and is planned to be the first of many. Photo courtesy of Jasper Harder.
For 22-year-old Willis Atkinson, the treasurer and co-founder of Thrift Club, his love of thrifting developed out of necessity.
In the sophomore year of high school, as he describes, Atkinson realized he was beginning to outgrow what was in his closet.
“You can’t just wait every Christmas and birthday to get a gift card,” Atkinson said in regard to the high prices of clothing. “Me and my friends were like, ‘Oh, we can just go thrifting right?’ I found some really good places.”
Atkinson, like others, enjoyed not only the lower price tags he found, but the longevity and sustainability of the clothing.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, in 2018 alone, only 14.7% of the over 17 million tons of textiles were recycled that year, totaling 2.5 million tons. Meanwhile, 3.2 million tons of textiles were combusted, and 11.3 million tons were thrown into landfills, making up 7.7% of all municipal solid waste landfilled.
Self-described as an avid speaker against “fast fashion” and the waste it produces, Atkinson took to writing alongside fellow Thrift Club board members.
Together, the group wrote and produced a club magazine, THRIFT: Home of Sustainable Style, as an outlet to voice opinions and give inspiration to their community.
“I noticed that as the officers were putting on each of our meetings, sharing all of this information, whether it be styling or sustainability, it needed to be documented,” Thrift Club Secretary Megan Wilson said. “As people come and go, this knowledge we have worked so hard to share doesn’t disappear.”
Guests stop to flip through THRIFT Vol. 1 for the first time at the Thrift Club’s Flea Market & Magazine Launch event on Feb. 21. Photo courtesy of Kayla Gidare.
The magazine ranges from articles that highlight student fashion designers, easy up-cycling crafts to reduce waste and a photoshoot layout of club board members, styled in thrifted clothes, including Moreno on their cover.
Atkinson’s own advocacy takes shape in the issue through his article titled, “What is Fast Fashion?”
Since its conception two years ago, the club has grown from five to 17 board members and now holds nearly 200 members who attend their bi-weekly Tuesday night meetings.
They intend on continuing to provide a place of shared interests and growth at The Beach to as many students as possible.
Alongside their new magazine, the club said they plan to build onto their website to share future editions with as many students as possible.
Future events can be found through their Instagram, @thriftclub_csulb.
