Out with the old, in with the new? Not necessarily, as these Malaysian thrift experts will tell you.
When you enter a thrift store, you are greeted with slightly dusty air, clothing racks filled with no two identical pieces—and the promise of great finds, hidden between old sweatshirts. The thrill of the chase culminates in your hunt for the perfect fit, holding your breath in anticipation as you shop in a time capsule.
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It is no wonder Malaysia's thrift culture has ignited over the recent years—now, perhaps more than ever, scoring unique pieces at the thrift store is more euphoric than spending on fast fashion brands. It even seems like fate, making your shopping experience all the more magical at a wallet-friendly price.
Vintage Vibes
Curated thrift stores in Malaysia seek to make that thrifting experience a little easier for shoppers. While the concept of luxurious “curated” clothing selections may seem counterintuitive to the concept of pre-owned secondhand clothing, OKGO thrift store in Subang Jaya balances these opposing ideas down to an art.
OKGO’s owners are married couple Zamir Alif and Shakira Isadora, who started their business after inspiration struck during their trip to Japan in 2016. Shakira reminisces: “We were amazed by how cool and aesthetically impressive their thrift stores were, where music, art, and fashion play big roles as part of their store concepts.”
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Taking their cue from such Japanese thrift stores, they launched OKGO as a place that combines secondhand and vintage clothing with curated aesthetics. Here, their customers can shop sustainably and get right to the good stuff without having to sort through piles and piles of old clothes.
As someone who has front seats to the evolution of Malaysian thrift culture over the years, Zamir believes that "thrift culture is at its peak."