Thrifting has become more popular as vintage styles have made a comeback. Zach Baynham and Avery Martine, KHS seniors and close friends, are the creators of an Instagram thrifting account. Their account, @lou.thrifts, is focused on sustainable fashion. They go thrifting together to buy used clothing that they later touch up and resell. The first clothing drop the account had was over Labor Day weekend, and if you visit their page you will see them modeling their thrifted finds. As the account gains followers and the business begins to break even, Martine and Baynham will donate 15 percent of their profits to a charity chosen by their followers monthly. The idea for this account was hatched at the beginning of quarantine. 

“We saw that everyone was doing closet accounts,” Baynham said. “We wanted to hop on that trend with a spin. We wanted to be a little more professional about it.”

The business was started with sustainability in mind. The partners hope to get people to shop more responsibly in terms of the environment. 

“Maybe if people see what we can find at the thrift store, it will make them want to go thrifting,” Martine said. “Hopefully the making of this Instagram account will help.” 

Inspiring others to be thinking sustainably while shopping is a dream come true for Martine and Baynham. According to them, growing their business alongside this is an added bonus. Martine and Baynham emphasize that thrifting is a more eco-friendly way to shop.

Another business goal that the pair hopes to reach is to incorporate equal representation. They will have people of all different races, ethnicities, genders, body types, and abilities modeling for them because they want to make their business inclusive for everyone.

“My brother has down syndrome, and his girlfriend has down syndrome too,” Martine said. “We are going to have them model for us.”

Baynham and Martine sell thrifted items that still fit today’s latest fashion. By doing this, they are recycling quality clothing rather than letting them go to waste. Throwing out items of clothing that are no longer in style brings harm to the planet. 

“The problem with fast fashion is that [these companies] produce so much cheap and low-quality clothing,” Martine said. “I know that our generation will wear an outfit once for an Instagram pic and then throw it out. Buying these cheap quality clothes and then throwing them away is horrible for the environment. These industries produce this clothing to keep up with trends.”