<p><span>With a fresh wave of thrift store founders taking over the retail scene, there&rsquo;s a growing mission to champion sustainability in every aspect of fashion. The eclectic lifestyle of thrifting has reached new heights in our city.</span></p>

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      <p><span>Adani, Bay, and Emma joined forces to launch LOOOP, a consignment emporium that has revolutionised the vintage shopping landscape. With Bay&rsquo;s flair for retro finds, Adani&rsquo;s expertise in curated retail and Emma&rsquo;s vision of an undercover online platform, they&rsquo;ve created a sanctuary where each garment narrates its own tale. LOOOP isn&rsquo;t merely about acquiring top-notch second-hand apparel &mdash; it&rsquo;s a pledge to sustainability, community building and the pure joy of rediscovering hidden gems.</span></p>
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      <p><span><em><strong>What does the name LOOOP signify?</strong></em><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">We aimed to maintain a local clothing cycle. Our store uses a consignment system, sourcing clothes from the local community rather than from abroad. The term &ldquo;cycle&rdquo; inspired us. While brainstorming, we thought of &ldquo;loop&rdquo; which has a similar meaning. To make the name unique, we added an extra &ldquo;o&rdquo; to represent the three of us. Thus, LOOOP was born, built on three pillars: Community, Environment and Joy of Discovery.<br /><br /></span><strong style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><em>If you could associate LOOOP with some songs, what would they be and why?</em><br /></strong><span>If we had to pick a song to associate with LOOOP, it would be </span><span>Meditation </span><span>by Walter Wanderley. This tranquil melody was the soundtrack of our early days when the three of us, overwhelmed but determined, opened our doors. It&rsquo;s a reminder of our humble beginnings and the calm amidst the chaos. Additionally, </span><span>Chiquitita </span><span>by ABBA holds a special place in our hearts. It&rsquo;s a favourite among the team, symbolising </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">resilience and unity. We also all have our own playlists on Spotify, so we&rsquo;d say the vibe is always changing.<br /><br /></span></p>
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            <p><span><strong><em>What aspects of Malaysia&rsquo;s thriving thrifting culture do you appreciate the most?</em><br /></strong></span><span>We&rsquo;re thrilled to see the community actively discussing sustainable fashion. Some are debating whether fast fashion brands belong in second-hand stores, questioning if it perpetuates the cycle, or if it&rsquo;s ethical for curated stores to markup vintage items. This signals a shift from simple bundle shopping to a deeper thrifting culture locally. On the other hand, our most rewarding moments come when customers shared that LOOOP inspired their first venture into secondhand shopping. Our initial goal was to provide another avenue for people to embrace secondhand without it being a last resort. Witnessing this transformation firsthand is incredibly special to us.</span></p>
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      <p><span><em><strong>Following that, what are some common misconceptions people have about thrifting?</strong></em><br /></span><span>That secondhand clothes should be dirt cheap. We emphasise that LOOOP is not a thrift store but a curated preloved clothing store. While some may expect secondhand items to be inexpensive, we believe in the value of quality clothing. Operating on a consignment basis, we aim for a rewarding experience for both buyers and consignors. Setting low prices wouldn&rsquo;t sustain this model or support our team adequately. Running a secondhand store involves significant unseen labour and rising overhead costs, necessitating fair compensation for our team.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"><em><strong>Do you believe that the increasing popularity of thrift stores in Malaysia indicates an anticipated change towards embracing sustainability in fashion?</strong></em><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">To some extent, we did foresee a market gap for something like LOOOP. It&rsquo;s not just about the services we offer but also our unique curation. We&rsquo;re distinct from the &ldquo;bundle&rdquo; approach, as seen with our friends at OK GO and Fifth. Ultimately, LOOOP provides another avenue for secondhand shopping, which we see as crucial given the surplus supplies of clothing in the world today.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"><em><strong>Recently, LOOOP has introduced the Tired Consignment program. Can you tell us more about it?</strong></em><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Initially, from our launch until mid-February 2024, we operated on a standard 60% split to us and 40% back to our consignors. However, due to our diverse curation, we&rsquo;ve implemented a new system to distinguish between poor quality, fast fashion items and carefully crafted, timeless garments. Consignors will now earn 20%, 30%, 40% or 50% depending on the sale price of their item, determined by factors like quality and brand. While this decision contributes to our store&rsquo;s upkeep and enhancement, it&rsquo;s also a strategic business move essential for growth. We believe it&rsquo;s a fair and necessary change.</span></p>
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      <p><span><em><strong>I also noticed how popular LOOOP is among Gen Zers. What are the key factors to consider when establishing a brand targeting Generation Z in 2024?</strong></em><br /></span><span>Initially, our intention wasn&rsquo;t to target the younger</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">generation with our brand. Our branding primarily reflects the personalities of the three of us: Bay, Adani and Emma. However, our online content is influenced by our dynamic LOOOP Team, who are incredibly creative, humorous and sometimes unconventional, reflecting the trends of today. Surprisingly, our customer demographic is quite diverse. While our online presence may suggest a focus on Gen Z, we have a significant number of older customers who appreciate our business model. We have regular customers whom we affectionately call &ldquo;Uncle&rdquo; and &ldquo;Aunty,&rdquo; many of whom know our team by name and even bring treats when theyvisit.<br /><br /></span><strong style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><em>I love the way your social site is curated as a space for not only business but also to spread awareness about upcycling clothes and the importance of doing so. How do you envision the fashion landscape in Malaysia evolving over the next few decades, especially with a growing emphasis on upcycling and sustainable practices?</em></strong></p>
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            <p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">We&rsquo;ve noticed a growing interest in local secondhand shopping which we attribute partly to increased awareness about the environmental impact of fast fashion. By providing an alternative option for secondhand clothing, we aim to promote sustainable fashion choices. Looking ahead, we hope to see major local brands embrace sustainability by utilising their scraps and samples in upcycling projects. Additionally, we encourage up-and-coming fashion graduates to make conscious choices in their designs, furthering the shift towards a more sustainable industry.</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;">CREDITS:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Photography</strong> Floyd Grey<br /><strong>Creative direction &amp; Styling</strong> Syazil Abd Rahim<br /><strong>Photography</strong> assistant Absor<br />Special thanks to LOOOP</p>

Earth Day Special: Adani, Bay and Emma of LOOOP on rediscovering hidden gems

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