Forget everything you know about going to an op-shop. Long gone are the hours of searching through hand-me-downs at Vinnies. Fashion Thrift Society (FTS) is bringing thrift markets to Canberra.
As many young Australians turn their vintage fashion interest towards the FTS markets, I went to EPIC to find out why.
FTS advertise the vintage markets as a festival, and this definition definitely held up. Walking into the hall, my instant reaction was much similar to entering an Aussie music festival.
Wow, there’s a lot of people!
Hey I think I know this song?!
Wow, there’s a whole lot of fancy ‘fits’!
Upon entering the hall market, one of the biggest surprises that I noticed was how nice everybody is. A truly family-friendly event where all ages felt at home. People of all ages, abilities and interests filled the hall looking for their own definition of fashion.
My friend and I talked to several stall managers and were constantly greeted with smiles, interesting conversation, and excitement. At each stall I heard stories behind the shoes, jewellery, football kits and reversible bucket hats.
There was, however, a definite feeling of urgency and adrenaline filling EPIC. The friendly faces had a sense of seriousness, as no one wanted to miss out on the best find or deal.
And FTS know this, with tickets going down to just $5 for entry after 2pm.
The constant rhythm supplied by the DJ really set the mood of the markets. It helped drown out the chatter through the hall and replaced it with a rhythmic techno that fit the buzz.
Vendors around Australia had the chance to pop up a stall of their own and, talking to the vendors, I soon realised some had come from all around to showcase their products.
Every stall had to provide their own clothing racks, tables, and any other necessity to make it stand out. This really helped spice up the event, with all stalls bringing their own style to the markets.
The variance in the stalls really made the day. Going from stall to stall, I was always excited as to what I would see next. One thing I did not expect to see was tents, and I saw loads of them!
Upon closer inspection I realised they were no mere last-minute accommodations, but change-rooms! A real credit to the vendors as they felt like such a natural fit in the hall.
And after seeing people exiting a change-room as if on a runway, advertising a new dress, I had a chuckle as one tent bulged and reformed on the ground as someone lost balance trying on a new item.
One vendor I met had driven down from Sydney to showcase their hat collection. The hats were all reversible, showing patterns like cloudy skies, grass fields and the most popular, Pizzas! The stall was completed by a makeshift pizza oven showcasing the hats and custom pizza boxes to fold the (pizza) hats into!
FTS also provided a much needed break from the excitement. The lawns, located just out the front of the hall, allowed an easy access for shoppers to escape the excitement and cool down.
The lawns were full of small groups of friends sharing their finds, barista-coffee, sponsored Red Bull and of course, chips on a stick.
Back inside the hall, towards the end of the loop, I found three barbers offering complimentary haircuts to shoppers and therefore, entertainment for others walking by.
Talking to the barbers I unfortunately, but perhaps unsurprisingly, learnt that the queue was maxed out. A shame to miss out on, but a fun addition to the event nonetheless.
Just when you thought barbers at a thrift market was out of the ordinary, they also hosted tattoo artists! Yet again, these artists were in high demand with shoppers asked to come at 9:30 A.M. to get their ink done.
Complimentary offers like the barbers, tattoo artists, and nail salons meant that with a $15 ticket, you could really get your money’s worth, even if you didn’t wake up in the mood to shop.
The FTS markets not only travel around Australia, but are now in the United Kingdom too! They head to Brisbane next, before hitting Newcastle, Melbourne, and Perth before the end of April. Their full schedule can be seen here.
But don’t worry, you’ll have your chance to try the markets for yourself when they return to Canberra on July 20th (Tickets available here).
Photos by Henry Ricketts