I have to say that BadWill Market on Sunday was a success and that vintage boutiques in Capitol Hill are winning. You know it’s working when someone like me walks out with a red Minni Mouse, polka-dotted dress.
Sometimes when I think vintage, I think over-priced thrift store clothes or glorified garage sale. But I knew to expect something way more when Grace Kelly sent me the press release for BadWill Market. She had mentioned the project to me weeks before: Osiris Navarro and Phil Reed of Treats Club, had two mini-markets on the corner of Pike & Harvard last summer and wanted to try something bigger.
BadWill Market was very well curated and they utilized the Fred Wildlife Refuge beautifully. The featured “boutiques” were a mix of new clothes from independent retailers that sold everything from graphic T’s to tops made of vintage scarfs from around the world, as well as secondhand and vintage set-ups and one-time only sales from people like local fashionista Jess Estrada, who was selling items from her own closet for under $10/piece.
Jess was also part of the BadWill Market team, in charge of social media. I would imagine the bloggers had a lot to say. Every item in the room had a story, as well as its seller.
Some of the showcased boutiques included Moksha, Officials Vintage and Lucky. I also got to chat with the owners of the mobile boutiques, Kippy Ding-Ding and J-Project, who were parked just outside the back entrance. Very nice gals. Apparently, mobile food isn’t the only mobile truck trend. And with pop up events like BadWill Market, a lot of the indie companies in town get a presence outside of their online stores.
BadWill Market’s intention is to be a platform to connect with local boutiques, vintage vendors, independent designers, up-and-coming brands, and DIY artists. Stepping into the space and seeing their lively set-up, talking to the various vendors, and running into members from the art and music community, it was pretty apparent that their ideas were spot on.
If you missed out on the indie market and showcase, you can check out some of the items in our BadWill Market FB gallery.
Follow @badwillmarket
