Thrifting Comes to Marist
Fashion-Forward and Business-Driven Students Start Sustainable Business
The goal of Campus Closet is to make thrifting more accessible on campus. Photo courtesy of Campus Closet
For nearly four years, Claudia Neddermann ‘21 has been fostering an idea of a sustainable and convenient method of buying clothing on the Marist College campus. Finally, her vision is coming into fruition as Campus Closet.
By teaming up with Laura Meschini ‘21 and Ella Rivera ‘21 for their fashion merchandising capping project, Nedderman and her classmates devised a plan to bring thrift shopping right to Marist students. The goal of Campus Closet is to make thrifting more accessible on campus.
Due to COVID-19, the students decided it wouldn’t be possible to have a physical location. However, inspired by platforms like thredUP and Depop, the team developed a virtual method of thrifting. “I’m very business-driven and Laura is very creative, so we decided on a website and Instagram,” Neddermann said. The site launched in early April and will begin selling clothing later this month.
Participating students can place their clothing in a bin located in the Steel Plant and then fill out a corresponding Google Form. Students can provide descriptions of their clothing and contact information. Then, Campus Closet collects the bin, cleans the garments, takes photos, and then posts to social platforms. The team reviews the pieces for quality of style, production, and condition, and they’re also accepting both men and women’s clothing. Interested shoppers can message Campus Closet through Instagram to purchase.
Students that contribute a garment will receive 70% of the profits from their old clothing, and Campus Closet keeps 30% of sales. “This is a way for students who run the business and students donating to make money on campus,” Neddermann said. Campus Closet also takes donations. If a student wishes to donate their clothing, they can still place clothing in the bin in the Steel Plant, but forgo filling out the form. If a piece of clothing doesn’t sell within the semester, Campus Closet will donate it.
“When it came to capping this year, I remembered that I had this idea when I was a freshman. I proposed it to the professor and they loved it, so then I got my group on board,” Neddermann said. “We bounced off ideas and got really excited about the project. For four years this idea has been harbouring, but now it’s being executed.”
The idea of a clothing swap came to Neddermann during her freshman year when she realized there wasn’t anywhere convenient to shop in the local area without a car. Nedderman envisioned a platform that would allow students to update their closets while making extra cash. Not exactly sure how to execute this method of selling clothes, Nedderman decided to sit on the idea and wait for an opportune moment.
Neddermann spent the fall of her junior year studying abroad in Paris along with her capping group member Meschini. “We thrifted everyday,” Neddermann said. The duo became passionate thrifters, finding both eclectic and iconic clothing pieces in a city known for its fashion. When they returned to school, they missed the adventure and excitement of thrifting. However, this fueled their inspiration for bringing accessible thrifting to Marist students.
With the rise of online thrifting platforms, second-hand garments are becoming staples in many closets. “In the last few years, thrifting has definitely surged,” Neddermann said. “I feel like with our generation, people are saying we’re done with fast fashion, we want something sustainable, ethical, and unique.”
Neddermann also saw a growing interest in thrifting during the pandemic. “COVID-19 had a big impact in fashion. People were experimenting with clothing on social media,” she said. “With thrifting, you can buy a bunch of things on a low budget and play around with your style. Our age group is really expanding the limits.”
Neddermann believes there is a wide spectrum of unique styles among the student body at Marist, making the inventory of Campus Closet interesting. “There’s a broad range of fashion at Marist and people are willing to express themselves, which is awesome,” Neddermann said. “People do follow trends you’ll see on Instagram, so there is definitely trend-based style, but there is still unique, out-of-the-box fashion like you see on the streets in New York City.”
After the team graduates in May, they hope to see Campus Closet thrive in the upcoming years at Marist. Neddermann said they have partnered with the ethical fashion club on campus, which could lead to its ongoing operations. However, Nedermann also said it could eventually become its own club. She just hopes Campus Closet will be in the hands of someone as passionate as the team behind it now.