Walking down high school hallways where judging eyes always seemed to loom, Jessica Seraphin frequently heard the question, “Where’d you get your clothes from?”. Seraphin often answered with, “the thrift store.” She’d strike up a conversation on her finds from second-hand racks.
In June, the now 23-year-old interior design major turned her conversation-starters into a business with the creation of the thrift store Her Gather.
Seraphin grew up watching her mother pull out thrifted gems from clothing racks and bargaining for fair prices. Even today, she’ll occasionally steal a garment or two from her mother’s closet, drawing chuckles at how Seraphin’s style is moving back in time while her mother’s travels forward.
In July, Her Gather began appearing at pop-up markets. The thrift store began selling items through Instagram on Sept. 12. It keeps followers on their toes — a unique garment will be for sale at any moment. The tactic may seem untraditional, but it works for Her Gather.
Seraphin always knew there was a market. She joked with her older brother, Shelton Seraphin, that she could fill a school bus with girls asking to go thrift shopping. While the image of teenage girls packed into a bright yellow school bus seems comical, there was a serious idea at hand.
“Why not make it into a business?” she said. After posting the idea on her personal Instagram, she remembers her older brother bursting through the door exclaiming, “If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do this right.”
She and her brother, the 27-year-old photographer and owner of the creative agency Issue 91, became co-owners of Her Gather. She jokes that the company started backwards, appearing at pop-up shops before developing a brand.
Once the business launched on Instagram, it immediately gathered attention. Seraphin’s studies in interior design make Her Gather’s clean and minimalistic layouts so striking. Her Gather is unafraid to show the details in close-up photos, which is saying something for a business that sells used clothing.
The items that Seraphin gathers have minimal flaws, if any at all. Even if an item is stunning, she said, it’s not worth anything if it’s falling apart.
Shelton Seraphin searches for models to promote Her Gather, and he helps with layouts for the final photographs. He was not available for comment.
He reached out to Her Gather’s first model, English major Mirjam Frosth, in July. The model starred in the thrift store’s first promotional video wearing a flowy, white silk dress with lace detailing under the bust. Her Gather set a level of authenticity with its customers and followers from the get-go, showing seemingly unfiltered, skin imperfections.
“They’re an amazing duo,” Frosth said. “Supporting independent businesses, especially black-owned businesses, is really important.”
Her Gather aims to hire models of every shape and color, according to Seraphin. She wants to build a community of girls who are passionate and unapologetically expressive.
The thrift shop does not only showcase finished, minimalistic photos on its social media, but also behind-the-scenes angles as well. Her Gather is transparent with its customers.
Their market is ever-growing. More and more people are straying away from fast fashion in favor of buying second-hand items.
Katy Frey, a third-year environmental management major, said students “can’t really afford to buy designer stuff.” Thrift shopping offers an ecofriendly and affordable solution.
When asked if there’s anything that shouldn’t be resold, Seraphin said, “Sell it all! Everything has a purpose.”