With the upcoming holiday, expressing gratitude and giving thanks for our blessings is the theme of the week. But one could argue the spirit of Thanksgiving has been erred by brands and corporations instilling that we need more than what we already have.
‘Tis the season for giving in to our impulses and overly consuming, but we’re not inferring to that extra slice of pie. It’s almost Black Friday, and online sales have already begun. As you read this, shopping discounts are flooding your inboxes, targeted ads continue to disrupt your social media feeds and TV commercials are reminding us the time to compulsively buy is now.
We’re being triggered to spend beyond our means, and many brands are influencing consumers to shop for themselves rather than nabbing gifts for others. But thanks to a Greenpoint vintage seller, you may think twice about buying another black sweater from a fast-fashion site just because it’s 50 percent off.
“Black Friday discounts aren’t real,” says Dusty Rose Vintage owner Maresa Ponitch. “They are part of a complex strategy that begins the moment an item is priced. Companies that have the luxury to slash prices are often the ones who are least ethical in production.”
There’s an onslaught of fashion brands that increase the production of poor-quality clothing. The endgame? Piles of wares end up in landfills. With climate change at the forefront of discussion, Ponitch, who has worked in massive textile recycling facilities for more than a decade, has created a two-day pop-up called Gold Dust, which aims to “explore the way we can keep our consumption and production sustainable.”
Vintage-lovers and folks who wish to be more educated on fashion production can get tickets ($20 for Sat, Dec 7 and Sun, Dec 8 or $15 per day) to her event at The William Vale Hotel, which includes panel discussions covering topics like textile recycling and how to rock a zero-waste wardrobe from frontiers in the style industry.
There will also be workshops run by artists and crafters who will teach you how to not only repair but spruce up your overly worn items and give them a second chance to shine. If that sounds like too much work, you can purchase artists’ reworked vintage items from creatives like Susan Alexandra or L’Amour Supreme. And plenty of other vintage slingers be there, hawking their best wares. Just make sure to BOYT (bring your own tote) to reduce plastic waste. In case you needed more of an incentive, admission includes two drink tickets for Vinny Wines. Does Amazon offer that?