At the end of a cleanse, however, you may end up donating things you still have an emotional attachment to. Where they end up is anybody’s guess, making it all the more difficult to part ways.
This was part of the inspiration behind consignment-based thrift store LOOOP, which helps market and sell preloved items. Located at Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur, it is the brainchild of Adani Bakhtiar, 26, Bay Doucet, and Emma Megan Khoo.
“We wanted a place for well-loved pieces to go to, because you can inherit something from your grandmother or have a really cherished piece of clothing in your closet that you just can’t fit into anymore, but you don’t want to just dump it in a donation bin and not know where it’s going,” said Doucet, 25.
“Our service allows people to find the right owner that would truly love the pieces and preserve the longevity of the item.”
In a sea of bundle shops, LOOOP veers off the beaten path with a circular-fashion approach, the primary goal of which is to consciously attempt to buy less and to extend the life cycle of clothing, disposing of the linear “take-make-waste” mindset.
As such, the clothes you see on the racks here are not those purchased in bulk from warehouses – something typically practised by bundle shops across Malaysia – but are consigned by those looking to sell their items with LOOOP.
According to Khoo, consigned items are given an eight-week cycle to be sold. Customers know when their pieces are on display in-store and the exact moment each is sold.
“If at the end of eight weeks the clothes don’t sell, they can choose to pick it up and take it back home with them, or we can donate it through our different donation channels,” the 27-year-old said.
She added that many of the pieces that get brought in have a lot of sentimental value for the original owners, who enjoy receiving the email informing them when their item has been sold.
“We’ve created this environment where everything is curated and cared for, and you know your items will go to someone who will cherish them.”
LOOOP’s selection focuses on high-quality women’s and gender-neutral clothing that are “gently loved, timeless pieces, inclusive in sizing, with quality fabrics (and) great construction”, according to its website.
In view of Malaysia’s many festive seasons, traditional clothing is also available, as are bags, scarves, shoes, hats, sunglasses and belts.
Furthermore, the founders use their venture to support Malaysian creatives by promoting magazines, postcards, and other publications by graphic designers.
They also work with the non-profit Refuge For The Refugees to donate clothing pieces to communities in Kampung Melayu Subang as well as the Myanmar Ethnic Women Organisation.
‘Dreamer girls’
Khoo, Doucet and Adani told FMT Lifestyle that they had met as colleagues at the creative platform Riuh in the City. After each left their jobs, they got together to start LOOOP in 2021 before launching the store in May last year.
For Doucet and Adani, the idea was sparked by memories of having gone second-hand shopping with their respective friends and families while growing up. Khoo, meanwhile, was inspired while clearing out her closet and finding the process of finding the “right” buyers for her clothing too tedious.
It’s been a little over a year since they launched, and all three are thankful to be able to do their part in helping the planet.
“We are very aware we are not solving all of the world’s climate issues,” Doucet said in reflection, “but it’s also impossible to ignore all the issues surrounding sustainability.
“So much new stuff keeps being produced, but there are no systems to keep it in circulation.”
Still, embarking on such an initiative has come with its share of challenges. “When we started, among the three of us, we were very strict on not borrowing money, even from our parents. Instead, we did this with our own savings,” Khoo revealed.
All three still work full-time jobs and side gigs to keep LOOOP’s operations afloat. “This was part of the strategy to get our parents to support what we were doing because, as much as we’re ‘dreamer girls’, we were also very practical about how we were going to execute this plan.”
Another challenge? A supply-and-demand imbalance, where the goods they receive outweigh the interest from locals to shop secondhand.
“At the end of the day, if nobody shops, there is no point in us taking in all these appointments and putting in all of this work. There is still so much education that has to happen within this space,” the trio said, talking over each other in agreement.
“This business model is very normal in countries such as London and New York, but it is so new here in Malaysia. It will take time for everyone to adjust to it.”
Learn more about LOOOP via its website, as well as Facebook and Instagram profiles.
LOOOP
20-A, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail,
Kuala Lumpur
Business hours:
2pm-9pm (Tuesdays to Fridays)
12pm-7pm (weekends)