Tables and tents filled with vintage clothing, handmade jewelry and secondhand accessories lined McKeldin Mall on March 6 as students stopped between classes to browse a campus flea market organized by the University of Maryland club MasTERPiece.
The event, advertised through the club’s Instagram, provides a space for student vendors and small businesses to sell their work while promoting a culture of sustainability on campus.Â
Natalie Hosie, a sophomore studying marketing, Depop ambassador and the treasurer of MasTERPiece, said the market introduces students to an alternative to fast fashion.
“At the heart of everything is just sustainability,” Hosie said. “It’s circular fashion, and I want my peers to realize that Shein and Temu aren’t the only answer for cheap clothes.”
Thrifting offers students on campus an affordable option while supporting local creators.
“A lot of the time when you thrift, you can find things for the same cheap prices but even better quality,” Hosie said. “It has a story. It’s unique, and you’re supporting a small business.”
Behind the scenes, Hosie coordinated the event herself, reaching out to vendors and managing logistics throughout the day.
“I have a spreadsheet of all the vendors. I’m here early when they set up and stay until they clean up,” she said.
Hosie, along with other organizers, also considered pricing when hosting a market on a college campus. Student vendors often keep their items affordable, while outside vendors typically charge higher prices that may not necessarily appeal to students.Â
“When you’re selling on a college campus, college kids are not going to pay that,” she said.
Mimi Dang, a junior communications major and founder of the clothing brand Dollita – @shopdollita — –was one of those student vendors, selling vintage clothing, reworked garments and jewelry at the market.Â
Dang developed an interest in fashion in high school, when she began altering her own clothes before eventually turning the hobby into a small business. Markets like the student-run flea help grow her brand.
“It gives me an opportunity to get my brand out there,” she said. “Currently, I just sell on my Depop.”
While the online marketplace is another affordable alternative to fast fashion, Dang said that she sells more at in-person events because shoppers have the opportunity to try items on.
For the students browsing, the market offered affordable prices and unique finds.
Giovanna McMahan, a sophomore economics major, attended the flea market with her friend and said she enjoyed discovering items she would not normally find on campus.
“I got a red purse for five dollars, which was a steal,” McMahan said.
She added that events like the MasTERPiece flea market create a stronger sense of community.
Hosie said the club hosts four to five markets a semester, and hopes the flea market will continue to grow as more students discover and explore sustainable fashion.
Students can learn more about MasTERPiece events on the club’s Instagram — @umdmasterpiece.Â