“I don’t want to have the same style as my neighbour”: at the Salon de la friperie, which takes place this weekend at the Puces du Canal de Lyon in Villeurbanne, several hundred second-hand amateurs are looking for the rare garment , while claiming to be “ecological”.
Océane Loukanta arrived at the opening on Saturday, armed with a huge tote bag ready to be filled.
She’s been a regular at thrift stores since she found herself at a party wearing the same dress as one of her friends, bought from a big fast fashion store.
“Now I only go to thrift stores, so I’m sure I’m not buying something that everyone will have,” the 27-year-old told AFP.
“Here, we dress with unique pieces,” confirms Léa Ecouffier, 21, who runs a shop at the entrance to the large blue marquee under which around fifty exhibitors are gathered.
“Because even if we are more and more adopting this mode of consumption, it remains a unique way of expressing one’s style in a world where everyone dresses the same”, she adds, glass of wine warm in hand.
“For 25 years, there has been a very strong growth trend in the second-hand clothing market”, attests Marie Vincent, coordinator of the show.
“There has been a big boom over the past five years: seven out of ten people say they buy second-hand clothes and the sector represented seven billion euros in 2021”, illustrates the organizer of the event, where 5,700 visitors are expected.
Background music from the 1980s, vintage clothes, glasses, vinyls, retro photos, old school shoes, scarves, hats, bags, jewellery…
“I’ve always loved antiquing and as my wardrobe filled up and my tastes changed, I sold,” says Saskia Boquet, 28-year-old exhibitor and customer, who “made a deal” by unearthing a t t-shirt from the luxury brand Yves Saint Laurent for 15 euros.
– “Give new life” –
Laure Hervieu, 58, has been a second-hand trader for 20 years, “to offer an alternative to consumption” and “to compete with fast fashion”, all while “being eco-responsible”.
“We want pieces that have a story, that can be given new life, that are of good quality and that won’t be completely deformed after two washes,” she lists.
Paul Couvé-Bonnaire, 24, shares this opinion. “I try to buy less and less new clothes, I prefer old but resistant pieces because, when I want to part with them, it could benefit others”, highlights this alternating in a tourism agency, which hopes the show will convert new people to this trend.
This is the case of Morgane Leblanc, 33 years old. “It’s been a while since I had to go shopping to renew my wardrobe”, explains this consultant manager.
“I thought I was going to a big shopping center as usual, but reading the candidates’ programs this morning, I decided to vote” for an environmental program, she says.
“Suddenly, I said to myself + you must not go to H&M, you must go to second-hand clothes, that way you will find eco-friendly clothing! +”, concludes the Lyonnaise in front of the mirror of a shop, right in the middle of fitting.
Although “the new remains dominant for the moment”, nuanced with AFP the specialist Joan Le Goff, co-author of the book “La Nouvelle jeunesse de l’occasion” with Faouzi Bensebaa, 70% of French people declared having bought second-hand clothes in 2021, compared to 30% in 2018 and half as many in 2010, according to a study by the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM).
A momentum that should continue, since according to the American consignment and second-hand clothing platform “ThreadUp”, the second-hand market will be heavier than that of fast fashion in 2028.
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