While fast fashion isn’t leaving anytime soon, we must take matters into our own hands in order to live a sustainable life and make conscientious fashion decisions in the hope of leaving a livable earth for future generations. Thankfully, the thrift-shopping craze is at an all-time high, countering the negative effects of fast fashion, as consumers are embracing second-hand goods – which they realise are just as good as new products, if not better.
Thrift store growth has been phenomenal, with more and more stores opening up across the country, and some expanding their businesses online as well. Look – not many of us have the luxury of time to go out and buy sustainable fashion alternatives, especially in this fast-paced world we live in. Hence, online thrift stores are a godsend for consumers who want to buy second-hand clothes conveniently, while simultaneously helping the environment.
While there are currently numerous online thrift stores, it’s kind of hard to keep up with which shop offers the best of the best of vintage goods. That’s why we’re making your life a whole lot easier by introducing an online thrift store that curates the most exquisite selection of vintage clothing – Maison Bianca!
Maison Bianca
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ceh48L8PB5x/
‘Maison Bianca’ – “maison” means “home” and “bianca” means “white” – is a growing digital thrift store run by a Malaysian entrepreneur going by the pseudonym Belle, who curates vintage clothing, accessories, and undergarments. Maison Bianca has a cult following of over 6,000 followers and has earned the trust of the thrifting community by offering the finest quality, hand-picked vintage products.
Speaking exclusively to Lipstiq, Belle said she has always loved shopping for second-hands goods and discovering unique items, especially on Carousell. For those who are unfamiliar with Carousell, it is an online marketplace for buying and selling new and used products, ranging from clothing and toys to technology and even books.
As she was scrolling through Carousell during the peak of the MCO period, Belle came up with the concept of a second-hand store selling meticulously-curated, high-quality fashion items. Shortly thereafter, she opened up a dedicated Instagram store – and the rest is history.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYluzkzPDem/
For the past two years, Maison Bianca has gained a lot of attention from the thrifting community and has grown exponentially as a business. Now, Maison Bianca keeps its followers on the edge of their seats as they anticipate her weekly drop (Friday at 8pm) of the best curated goods for them to go berserk over. In terms of how she curates and handpicks her goods, Belle explained that she mostly finds them online.
“I still occasionally shop online. So, there are various marketplaces, and not just Carousell. Sometimes I’ll find some on Facebook groups that sell second-hand goods as well, so I spend a lot of time surfing the web or even offline second-hand stores, and get to find some really good conditioned items there.” – Belle
The reason she diligently hand-picks these garments and products is so that you don’t have to waste time looking through poorly-kept goods just to be left disappointed. Thus, Belle does the job for you by hand-selecting and curating the second-hand items, as well as cleaning them to ensure that each product is as good as new.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CaUYktSvujA/
In regards to aesthetics and style, Maison Bianca doesn’t stick to any particular look (talk about diversity!). However, Belle is oriented towards a youthful vibe, as most of her followers are quite young. So, regardless of whatever style you’re currently sporting, you can certainly find a hidden gem in her store – be it cottagecore or even streetwear.
“There’s not one fixed style that I’m looking for. It speaks a lot about my own personal preference and also my observation of what my audiences would like along the way. So, I’d just figure out what people like and what other things are in high demand.” – Belle
When asked about what makes Maison Bianca unique compared to other online thrift stores, Belle explained that besides carefully curating her goods and updating them based on a fixed schedule every week so as to avoid mass updating on her platform, she also provides styling tips.
“I want to try to position my store as one that not only sells things, but also posts a lot of styling ideas, like how you’d mix and match one top and you can wear it in different ways. Maison Bianca emphasizes sustainability, so I think one of the ways to practice sustainability is you try to buy less, but you choose wisely. For example, you’d buy a versatile top that you can wear for many different occasions with many different styles. I share a lot on Maison Bianca’s Instagram page on styling tips, so I’d try to position the store as a lifestyle/fashion page and not just merely a store.” – Belle
Certainly an online thrift store worth visiting – and shopping at! Not only does Maison Bianca provide the best curated vintage goods, it also offers styling tips so that you can make the most out of the clothes and accessories you buy there. So, look extra good, save the environment and #sapotlokal all at the same time!
Follow Maison Bianca on Instagram for weekly updates; and check out Maison Bianca’s website for fabulous vintage goods!
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