In the last couple of years, I have become increasingly interested in fashion. The world of vintage and up-cycled fashion to be more specific. One of the avenues I have found the most suitable forms of fashion collecting is through thrifting. Around 2018 I began to thrift but I never really did it adamantly. I would go to a thrift store and look for a retro jacket or unique shirt I could use for pajamas. It was not until I had done research on fast fashion when I began to thrift more often and
actively look for thrift and vintage resellers. I have found various vintage and upcycled sellers online, but oftentimes prices and rates push me away. One thing I loved to do pre-pandemic was going to farmer’s markets and events with resellers and up cyclers. Three in specific have really pushed me to both discover more about sustainability, as well as, wanting to share the things I have learned with others. One of them being a Brownsville local vintage vendor, William Tex, who sells vintage clothes under the name “Lazarus Vintage” @lazarus.vintage. Another vintage vendor Josue Medina, who runs his business under the name “8 VISION” @8visionvintage. Meeting them has really introduced me to the amazing world of sustainable fashion. Exploring what they do and work with has helped me understand this world, and I want to give others that chance as well.
William Tex is a Brownsville native that runs the vintage resale account, Lazarus vintage. William started collecting 4 years ago. Beginning with sneakers and Supreme [products], he was exposed to more recognizable designs through vintage and second hand clothing. It was the originality of this clothes That pushed him to entering the world of vintage.
When did you decide to make this into a business?
"Around the time I was starting to set up at pop-up [stores] wherever I could and just
trying to be wherever I could as often as possible. I had gotten let go from my job at the time, which couldn’t have been more of a blessing. I realized at the time, I was able to pursue what I loved full-time and the business took care of itself."
"What is your preferred way to sell? Are you doing pop-up events or do you have a shop? Posting the finds on my Instagram and other platforms is fun because I really try to stick to what I enjoy and would nerd out about, but I stay hounding pop-ups because I prefer the in- person experience and the look on someone’s face when a piece touches someone’s heart." Recently a friend of mine opened her own shop, ShopLazyBoy956, @shoplazyboy956 and was kind enough to invite me to one of her racks, so I’ve been spending more time in McAllen meeting awesome people and sharing more finds.
Josue Medina is a McAllen native that runs the vintage resale shop, 8 Vision. 'Braking
boundaries' is his main motive and he makes sure to stand out and be unique.
Why do you work with resale? What motivates you the most?
Why I work with vintage is because, you know, they're nostalgic pieces or [pieces] you'll never see. It's just a thrill seeing a different type of T-shirt or a different type of denim, from a different type of era. What keeps me going is just like the same thing as from my childhood of always loving clothing."
When did you first discover vintage culture and resale?
"I discovered it when I was roughly around 12 years old. I asked my mom to get off at
Goodwill. I'd always just be amazed by the clothing. You know the different types of colors of a T shirt, how different it made me feel. That's something where it kind of started, and I just grew into it because I feel like I'm a hip hop connoisseur, so it blends in with the clothing and culture as well."
When did you decide to that this into a business?
"I decided to make this as a business because I would always go hunting for clothing like ever since I like, 15, 16. As I started collecting clothing and collectibles, I was like, 'Why don't I just make my own and showcase it to the world and show my creation?' It stemmed from all that. I followed it through high school, and it's something I wanted to do. Now I have a shop where I can say that I'm following my dreams."
What would you tell those who are looking into entering the vintage scene?
"For my advice, it would be: be yourself fully. Do not be afraid to take risks."
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