In the age of fast fashion and viral trends, some teens are helping turn thrifting into a form of sustainable fashion.
Senior Nakul Warrier remembers when his interest in clothing first shifted from self-expression to a side hustle, he said.
“My friend Diego started changing up his style, and it kind of inspired me,” Warrier said. “We started thrifting just to try new fits and experiment with what we liked, then figured, why not sell them too?”
Warrier and his friends started a reselling operation, originally planning to sell pieces online, Warrier said.
“And originally, we didn’t get any traction,” Warrier said. “We got just a couple of friends that said like, ‘Oh, let me cop that.’”
They found success by focusing on curation by selecting standout pieces rather than flipping items in bulk, Warrier said.
“We really saw value in curating — actually talking to customers and explaining why a piece was cool or unique,” Warrier said. “It made it feel more personal, and I think people appreciated that.”
Senior Diego Dannon, Warrier’s friend and business partner, shares the combination of this instinct for business and fashion, he said.
“I was always into vintage clothes,” Dannon said. “We went thrifting, started selling on Depop and Grailed, and I realized I could actually make good money from it. So I just kept going.”
Learning which items would resell took time and trial and error; some picks that seemed to be sure bets flopped, while some unexpected pieces took off, Dannon said.
“You kind of develop a feel for it,” Dannon said. “Go to enough flea markets, see how stuff is priced, and you start to get it. Sometimes you mess up and end up not selling.”
Despite the ups and downs of the business, Dannon believes that reselling vintage clothes is not just profitable, but also a way to push fashion into a more sustainable direction, he said.
“Fast fashion is just way too fast,” Dannon said. “Brands like Shein — they pump out stuff people wear once and toss. With vintage, it lasts longer. It’s not perfectly sustainable, but it’s better than most.”
Social media platforms and resale sites like Depop, Grailed, and Instagram have been key tools, Dannon added.
“Especially Grailed — I sell a lot there,” Dannon said. “And Instagram helps with promotion, just getting your stuff seen.”
For Dannon, reselling is not just about money. It’s creative freedom, sustainability, and reshaping how people think about their clothing, he said.
“I don’t think it’s just about making money,” Dannon said. “It’s about the hunt – finding something nobody else has, and giving it a second life.”