— For those who don’t know, what is Thrift?
Thrift is an ongoing project I started in the spring of 2014 to bring secondhand shopping culture to Beijing. I went to college in a small town and went thrifting almost every weekend because there was no other option. I missed that a lot when I moved here – so many of the vintage stores were too expensive and didn't have the surprising variety that thrift stores have. There were already a few clothing swaps and markets, but I wanted to create an ongoing system where people could drop off old clothes and know that they were going somewhere special, either to charities around China or back into a Thrift pop-up where someone else would make the clothes theirs.
— How does it work and how can people get involved?
I'm trying to build up a weekly flea market alongside Farm to Neighbors, whose founder Erica Huang has been wonderful enough to let me take part since the early stages of my own pop-up shop. I'm always looking for volunteers to help sell, organize and get involved. Sales from the clothes go to different projects. Donations are of course always great as well – just drop by any Farm to Neighbors Farmers and Flea Market at the Grand Summit.
— Was it a challenge to start up your own monthly flea market?
When I started The Beijing Flea Market at The Bookworm, I sought advice from my friend, jewelry designer Yi Zhou. We rounded up some of our friends to create the first one, which featured a lot of secondhand items priced at RMB100 and under. But Beijing has a lot of talented independent designers too, so I started creating more space for them. The lead-up to the market is definitely challenging – I barely sleep the week ahead of it. You have to make sure you haven't overfilled the space and get the word out so that people come. There are so many markets and Saturday events now, that you really owe it to your sellers to make sure people are there to see their products.
— Your style in a nutshell.
I love patterns! My uniform for a while was button-up blouses with quirky motifs and colors that I found in secondhand or vintage shops around China. My closet is a bit American-Apparel-meets-grandma.
— Favorite shops in town?
I really love Triple Major, although I can only afford to wistfully gaze at things there. Delia on Wudaoying Hutong is my number-one pick for vintage because the owners are so nice, and the shop is so well curated and decorated. If I'm confined to my computer at work, then I love browsing Yetang. I usually come out with way more than I actually intended to buy.
— Sanlitun or Gulou?
That's always a tough one. I started my Beijing adventure in a Gulou apartment and then a hutong flat, so it will always have a special place in my heart. Now I live in Sanlitun and I love it for its convenience. But I definitely miss Saturday mornings wandering around the different vintage shops on Gulou Dongdajie.
Follow Jessica on Instagram at @jrapppp and contact her on WeChat at @jmrapp19.
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