On April 21, Sad Mag writers Jessica Russell and Farah Tozy went on assignment for Vancouver’s Eco-Fashion Week with the intent of discovering how fashion—that most of ephemeral and wasteful of pursuits—justifies its involvement in the eco-friendly scene. How do luxury and consumerism co-exist with frugality and restraint? Over the following days, Jess and Farah discovered quite a lot that is new (most of it vintage!) in fashion and the green movement. Part 3 of 3. {Read their first dispatch here and their second dispatch here}
Interviewing Value Village’s Director of North American supply chain, Anny LeClerc and Director of Marketing, Sara Gaugl, Jess and Farah gather insight into the business of fashion and thrift.
ECO-FASHION ECONOMICS //Eco-Fashion Week // P.3
“One man’s trash, that’s another man’s come-up!”
–Macklemore, ‘Thrift Shop’
Reporting from Blenz on Granville Street, Jess Russell and Farah Tozy here! Today is the first day for the Eco-fashion week runway shows and our stomachs are swarming with butterflies! Arriving an hour early to rehearse our interview questions (and because we are punctuality superstars), we sip on our iced coffees. Nerves are scattered everywhere as we scan the coffee shop hoping to spot our interviewees. At exactly ten in the morning, two women appear with big smiles on their faces: Value Village’s Director of North American supply chain, Anny LeClerc and Director of marketing, Sara Gaugl. All of the butterflies go away since these women are just as excited as us to start the interview.
Where does Value Village stand in the fashion industry?
Sara Gaugl: We [at Value Village] are part of the fashion industry. We just have a different take on how we get our merchandise. Traditional retailers have to be current with seasonal trends, and as consumers, people want what’s new, what’s fresh, what’s on trend. The great thing about our store is you can experiment with new trends.
[All our stock is] second-hand, so we’re not creating new merchandise, [Value Village is] trying to keep product out of waste streams. There’s nothing wrong with purchasing new product. It’s just that for us, when people get tired of new clothes, or if it doesn’t fit, you want a new trend. Our environment is a great place for that. We know that there’s gonna be a front end of the stream, we just happen to be at the end.
We [at Value Village] source our merchandise from non-profit partners. The goods that are donated at our stores are from local consumers, or we purchase our merchandise from local nonprofit. Then local consumers buy our merchandise, so it’s really a great cycle to stay local.
Anny LeClerc: We don’t try to influence seasonal trends, we encourage shoppers to look for treasures and find vintage pieces. Be creative. Add a fresh spin to a current look. Add a vintage piece to a new piece, we have more than a hundred thousand items in our stores, you can really be creative, and that’s all that we’re about.
Do you think Value Village will ever go online?
AL: [Value Village is] all about the experience. The internet takes away from that. [In store] you can buy bed sheets, linens, or tablecloths and be creative. You can’t do that if you just see one item online. [Furthermore] you can walk around easily with our wide aisles and find what you’re looking for.
SG: In the past 60 years, [Value Village has] always been a local community based organization. I don’t see us changing that. We’re very value and selection focused. We put ten thousand new items a day. Three weeks is the maximum we keep merchandise on the floor. If a consumer doesn’t buy it during the first ten days, we relook at that item and say, why isn’t it selling? Did we price it correctly? Did we give it best chance to sell? After three weeks, we responsibly recycle it. We try to keep pushing out as much new merchandise as possible.
How did you first hear about Kim Cathers?
AL: It’s our third season of EFW and second season with Kim Cathers in collaboration with Value Village. Last season [Cathers] did 68lbs of textiles; anything that she found in the store. She made a dress with a lace tablecloth and some silk bed sheets. It was awesome! This year it’s a whole women’s collection with men’s suits and knits. It’ll be interesting. She’s very creative [and] talented.
SG: [Cathers] wanted to make it a bit of a challenge. Last season, she had any fabric or textiles that she saw in the store. She thought, I want to up the ante, and look at men’s suits. I want to inspire not only women, but have men think about their great quality clothes, and how to repurpose them. What [Cathers] is able to do is amazing; we hope that she inspires many designers to repurpose fabrics.
Do you think thrifting is becoming a fad?
SG: I don’t think it’s a fad. I think it’s becoming mainstream. [Value Village has] proudly been in business for 60 years. We open more than 20 stores a year and we don’t see that slowing down. Especially with Macklemore’s hit song! [Macklemore] actually filmed at one of our stores and our shoppers were in the video! That was fun, and it really brought more awareness.
I think people [are becoming] more comfortable purchasing second-hand goods. For me, it was a vintage coach purse. Similar to one my grandmother used to wear. We always love it when we hear shoppers that say, where’d you get it? Value village, 5.99!
[In addition to that] our partnership with EFW has been so tremendous because Myriam Laroche and the team have taken the lead on educating. It’s really all about consumer education. If you buy ten things a month, try to buy two of those things used. Just making that little step is big.
AL: Or if you buy something, donate something!
Jess and I [Farah] were shocked to learn that 68 lbs is on average how much people throw away each year, what is Value Village doing in attempt to change that number?
AL: It’s a lot of textiles. Here in Vancouver, [Value Village] has three non-profits: Diabetes Association, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Vancouver and Developmental Disabilities Association. We work with over a hundred and twenty partners across North America. Every item donated to a non-profit is paid for. They’re paid for [by Value Village] if it makes it on the sales floor or not. We have long term relationships with our partners, and always look for new nonprofits to bring into our cycle. You’re helping the charities and the environment. And honestly, we often get items that are just dry cleaned, or still have the price tags.
SG: Sometimes an entry point for an individual may not be clothing; it may be records, or crystals [that are] wonderful quality, barely used. Each garbage bag is on average 20lbs… Just make a conscious choice and get it out of the landfills. That’s why we thank you [Sad Mag] for bringing awareness.
We are all one entity. And we always want to have our nonprofits, so that everyone’s benefiting. We have the retail end of the business; they have the collection of the goods. When you add those two elements up, it’s a great model, and it’s always been our model. Things that you don’t need, you’re turning into revenue for nonprofits.
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VALUE VILLAGE: TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL THRIFTING:
1. GET A CLUB CARD. This is the best way to get a bang for your buck. Even Jasmine Zhu, Thrift Chic Challenge designer, used her Club card to receive 30% off her purchases for her collection! It allowed her to create three piece ensembles.
2. CHECK ALL SIZES. Styles change, and so does sizing. What used to be a eight in 1950 could be a size two by today’s standards. Always keep an open mind.
3. GET INSPIRED. It’s all about what your interpretation of fashion is. Jasmine Zhu’s collection featured necklaces on her head. Create your own style by visiting every section at your local Value Village. Yes, even the lingerie section. You never know what diamonds in the rough you’ll find.
4. DONATE. Whenever you’ve collected enough pennies for your next shopping adventure, make sure to bring along some old clothing that you have no use for. You’ll be rewarded for your generosity with a coupon. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love coupons?
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