Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Get in loser, we’re going shopping (in McCarthy Quad)

FIA hosts the first fashion fair of the semester.

Photo of a female student browsing through a closing rack.
A student sifts through a rack of vintage clothing at the FIA Fashion Fair in McCarthy Quad. (Photo by Jason Goode)

From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, McCarthy Quad gave Regina George’s wardrobe a run for its money. It’s not often that we see a walk-in closet make its way outdoors, but the Fashion Industry Association (FIA) transformed the popular campus center with tables featuring clothes from both student and local fashion vendors.

“It’s so nice that we get to be in the middle of campus with a lot of foot traffic. It benefits everyone,” said senior and FIA Co-President Madison Hong. “Vendors have told us they have had issues with flea markets in the past like theft and lowballing of prices, so the USC community being very willing to support has been a great experience for them.”

Hong’s idea for the fair was born from the villain of all shopping enthusiasts: inconvenience. Tired of paying for two Ubers and waiting in L.A. traffic just for a trip to Melrose, Hong and the FIA team brought the treasure hunt essence of thrift shopping straight to campus. This was the organization’s seventh fair, and they narrowed down nearly 70 applications to select the 22 vendors in attendance.

With pieces ranging anywhere from cherry shaped earrings to two-piece suits, students meticulously browsed through unique styles of vintage and secondhand clothing.

“I like the convenience of having it so close. I’m not from L.A., so this helps me not have to look for places to shop,” said Anura Deshpande, a freshman neuroscience major who walked outside of Birnkrant and was greeted with several vibrant booths. “I think it’s more special to look through all of these different clothes and have the excitement of finding something that works.”

Local vendors paid a flat fee of $80 to participate, but were guaranteed a refund equivalent to their loss if they did not make a profit. However, given the notoriety that the fair has gained over the past year and a half of its operation, participants had no problem meeting their sales goals for the day.

Arthur Andrade, 26, and Cynthia Esclance, 24, co-owners of Past Present Future Goods, made a return to the fair from San Fernando Valley largely due to their profitable visit last semester.

“I try to average around $500, but collectively we made way over that last time we were here. Today we had a wall of vintage USC stuff, and it’s literally all gone, there’s only one piece left,” Andrade said. “I see more of a wide interest just because there’s so many types of people here.”

Kelly Salvador, 25, seasoned thrifter and owner of resale shop Second Time Around, also more than doubled her table fee within the first hours of opening to customers. She sourced clothing from both local thrift stores and donations from friends.

“I just love being around the student body. It’s a different market compared to the other markets I normally go to,” Salvador said. “The style is different. The students know what’s in and what’s happening, and I think that’s more convenient for us vendors.”

Students who sold also found success with customers due to their understanding of what pieces offer a simultaneously trendy, yet timeless vibe. Members of FIA tabled at the event for free as a perk for their participation, letting go of pieces from their closet in hopes of making space for new purchases from the fair.

“There’s so many different patterns, textiles and things that I draw inspiration from, and from different decades and generations. Here you’ll find things from the ‘60s to the early 2000s. It’s really broadened my spectrum in terms of what I want to wear and how I’m going to put my pieces together,” said Madison Pottinger, sophomore casting director for the annual FIA fashion show.

Pottinger was not only on the hunt for print and bold colors from other booths, but she also began relaying recruitment information about the fashion show for intrigued students.

“Every time I see someone, I make sure to tell them about FIA and the opportunity to be a model for our show in the spring,” Pottinger said. “Everybody here just loves fashion, so getting to talk with students about our passion for making clothes, thrifting clothes, styling clothes… it’s really nice.”

Much like Pottinger, the specificity of desired items aided first-time visitors in lucking up on good finds. Paolo Cerippa, an exchange student from Paris taking finance classes at Marshall, arrived in California just a month ago. He appreciated the pricing of the clothing at the fair and came in search of cargo pants.

“There’s better offers here because there’s clothes that younger people would buy. Whereas in Europe, the good vintage stores get really crowded, and you’ll still find a lot of stuff you would never buy,” Cerippa said.

The FIA team prioritizes diversity in merchandise and style when selecting vendors with the intent of encouraging students to experiment with their fashion choices.

“A lot of people have been coming up to us just excited to show us what they got. In L.A. there’s definitely a pressure to dress well, and it can be expensive. So, having flea markets like this means that students have access to clothing that isn’t overpriced,” senior FIA Co-President, Simone Brown said. “It’s a lot easier for them to put together their personal style in an affordable way.”

The FIA Fashion Fair will return to McCarthy Quad on Tuesday, October 10.