“Ladies, put your groovy glasses on” is the Instagram bio of Golden Cherry (@goldenncherry), a thrift-store Instagram page for PLNU students run by Hannah Hyon, Irene Bell and Carly Bizzack. The retro feel of the page is iconically southern Californian in its individualistic, eclectic style. The page is also iconically Loman in its carefree, comfortable approach to fashion.
“I think the best way we came up with [the style] is like that old black and white checkered floor of a Corvette diner, and then just weird hippy,” said Bizzack. “It’s just something that people would feel comfortable with and happy in. And kind of stands out a little bit.”
Hyon and Bell started the page last March and Bizzack joined their team this semester. The girls run on a biweekly schedule of shopping and selling where they shop for clothes at local thrift stores, have Loma girls model the outfits, and then they post the pictures on their Instagram page with a starting bid for each outfit.
“I really like to thrift,” said Hyon. “My friends and I would walk out [of thrift stores] with a bunch of stuff, and others wouldn’t find anything. So, we thought, hey, let’s just go find a bunch of cool things and sell them to people.”
The page has about 360 followers and continues to grow. Hyon said they use social media to their advantage to reach a wide range of friend groups and gain exposure by featuring different models each week.
“We take pictures of the girls, and you can just see their confidence,” said Hyon. “It’s really empowering to know that we can find a cute shirt and this girl feels like she’s rocking it. Also, there’s such a huge culture of girls hating girls. We want to promote friendly interactions and just loving on each other.”
PLNU student Kelly Komon has modeled for Golden Cherry and felt the “good and groovy vibes” throughout the whole process.”
“I felt like I could be myself and just have fun,” said Komon. “I love how they are super fun and flirty and give girls a chance to flaunt their personalities and confidence through fun little shoots.”
Thrifting is becoming increasingly popular at Loma. Golden Cherry provides inspiration for the many fashionable possibilities that are unique to thrifting.
“Fashion is fun because you get to experiment with different clothes, and since thrifting is cheap, you can try different styles and not break the bank,” said Bell. “Our main goal is to bring fun fashion to Loma that’s cheap.”
Bizzack always felt she could express herself through clothing, and she hopes that through this page, others would also discover that same self-expression.
“In today’s society, it’s very cookie-cutter,” said Bizzack. “Everybody goes to Urban Outfitters, everybody goes to H&M or Forever 21, whereas if you go to a thrift store, you’re going to be more individualistic. I think it’s important that people know we’re not trying to make them wear stuff and conform them to what we think looks right. It’s for them to take it and style it however they want.”
Hyon describes the style of clothing that they post on Golden Cherry as “eclectic, statement pieces.”
“I cannot stand the thought of buying a shirt for $50 at Brandy Melville,” said Hyon. “That is out of my budget. I think the fun thing about thrifting is you get weird pieces that you would not find in a normal store. It’s rewarding. It’s like a treasure hunt.”
Bizzack, who is also a minor in sustainability, said that “recycling in clothes is such a huge thing in sustainability because you’re literally giving it a new life, so I think that’s what makes me love it so much.”
The profit that the girls make off the page goes back into the business for the next week’s clothing. Hyon said they’ve also started saving money for a future Golden Cherry party that they are thinking of throwing at the end of the year.
“I love that Golden Cherry is a warm and friendly page of nifty, thrifty finds,” said Komon. “They find the best clothes and offer the best deals.”
The name Golden Cherry doesn’t really have a meaning, according to Hyon, other than it’s fun, which is exactly what the Instagram page is all about.
“We look for some groovy stuff,” said Hyon. “It’s like a little sparkle in your day.”
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