Fashion on a budget – Thrift shopping with Thriftalot
29 October 2021 | Art and Entertainment
MICHAEL KAYUNDE
WINDHOEK
For many fashion enthusiasts, purchasing or wearing second-hand clothing is a sin. However, Thriftalot, a Namibian Instagram store which sells used items, is changing this narrative in Namibia.
With second-hand items being referred to as “thrift” today, this terminology gives the phenomenon a more sophisticated tone.
In an interview with tjil, the founder of Thriftalot, model Ndatala Angula, said he came up with the idea when people kept asking him where he buys his clothes and how he manages to style them to look good on someone of his physique (he’s tall).
“The requests kept on coming in and that’s when I knew that there is a demand for unique items. I capitalised on this by attempting to buy a few items strictly for sale, which paid off after they sold out within hours.”
He recalled buying denim jackets from a flea market and posting them on his personal Instagram account as sale items. “They sold that day, and that’s when I knew I had struck gold,” shared Angula.
Angula mentioned that the initial target market was young men, as they are the most disadvantaged when it comes to variety in the Namibian clothing industry.
He added that Thriftalot has challenged that gap, but admitted they still have a long way to go.
“Now we cater for both men and women, as the demand has risen. Most of our clothes are unisex, which means anyone can purchase and wear them how they see fit,” he said.
Thriftalot’s items are distributed and made accessible to the rest of the country via Nampost services. “It’s a five-minute purchasing process which is then followed up by delivery, which is either same day or whenever the client is available.”
On the future of the store, Angula said the main goal is to expand the workforce as the store is only run by his younger brother and himself. His brother deals with the procurement of the clothing items, while he is the overall creative and handles client relations.
“The short-term plan is to hire someone who will be responsible for the social media strategy and execution. The long-term plan is to open a physical store in Windhoek once the effects of Covid-19 have eased,” said Angula.
WINDHOEK
For many fashion enthusiasts, purchasing or wearing second-hand clothing is a sin. However, Thriftalot, a Namibian Instagram store which sells used items, is changing this narrative in Namibia.
With second-hand items being referred to as “thrift” today, this terminology gives the phenomenon a more sophisticated tone.
In an interview with tjil, the founder of Thriftalot, model Ndatala Angula, said he came up with the idea when people kept asking him where he buys his clothes and how he manages to style them to look good on someone of his physique (he’s tall).
“The requests kept on coming in and that’s when I knew that there is a demand for unique items. I capitalised on this by attempting to buy a few items strictly for sale, which paid off after they sold out within hours.”
He recalled buying denim jackets from a flea market and posting them on his personal Instagram account as sale items. “They sold that day, and that’s when I knew I had struck gold,” shared Angula.
Angula mentioned that the initial target market was young men, as they are the most disadvantaged when it comes to variety in the Namibian clothing industry.
He added that Thriftalot has challenged that gap, but admitted they still have a long way to go.
“Now we cater for both men and women, as the demand has risen. Most of our clothes are unisex, which means anyone can purchase and wear them how they see fit,” he said.
Thriftalot’s items are distributed and made accessible to the rest of the country via Nampost services. “It’s a five-minute purchasing process which is then followed up by delivery, which is either same day or whenever the client is available.”
On the future of the store, Angula said the main goal is to expand the workforce as the store is only run by his younger brother and himself. His brother deals with the procurement of the clothing items, while he is the overall creative and handles client relations.
“The short-term plan is to hire someone who will be responsible for the social media strategy and execution. The long-term plan is to open a physical store in Windhoek once the effects of Covid-19 have eased,” said Angula.
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