Yet, it was a career shift he never expected.
“I was an engineer who did technical drawing, and research and development, but my job stressed me out, so I quit.
“At the time, I had friends who were crazy about second-hand clothes. It was from them that I learnt how to start this business,” Azizi told FMT.
With his newfound passion, Azizi bid farewell to his engineering career and embraced the realm of fashion.
Rummaging through Azizi’s vast inventory
Azizi, who only sells “branded” second-hand clothing, sources his inventory from a supplier who provides him with stock in bales.
“Bales” are sacks of clothing in various types and sizes. They consist of three different grades: “A”, “B” and “C”, with Grade “A” clothing being of the highest quality.
Each bale contains different categories of clothes, ranging from knitwear to blouses, all priced based on quality and brand.
Azizi ensures that each 45kg “bale”, containing up to 300 pieces, undergoes a rigorous quality control procedure.
“When I look through the bale, I look at the condition of the clothes to see if there are any tears, holes or stains. If it is dirty or torn, I throw the clothes away immediately,” he told FMT.
After sorting, Azizi washes and dries the clothes at a nearby laundrette. He then irons each garment and takes pictures of them for his online shop.
Azizi said that he can sell up to 100 pieces on weekends, with the items either bought by both resellers and consumers.
“I usually sell the clothes for RM10-RM50, but sometimes there are clothes that I find that I can sell for RM300-RM400,” he told FMT.
Azizi once found a branded hoodie, which retails for RM4,000. He is now reselling it for RM2,000.
“It felt like I hit the jackpot,” he told FMT.
Meet the supplier
Azizi’s supplier, Harriz Ilham Iskandar Azmi, 26, said that he sources his stock from all over the world, particularly the US, Japan, and Korea.
He told FMT that he and two of his supplier friends import one 40ft shipping container of clothes twice a month to meet the demands of their clients, who are primarily thrift shop owners.
He said one of these shipping containers can carry up to 400 bales, and can cost up to RM500,000.
Once Harriz acquires his share of the bales, he distributes it to clients across southeast Asia via courier.
“In the past, I used to sell two to three bales a day. Now I can sell up to 40 bales. This is a good thing, ask anyone in the bundle industry in Malaysia.
“Selling 20-30 bales a day is a healthy number for this market.”
Harriz does not just run his business for profit. He says second-hand clothing is the future of sustainable fashion.
“This is a healthy culture. These clothes don’t just have temporary hype and fade away suddenly, because the bundle industry isn’t about fast fashion.
“We wear these clothes and recycle them. We wear them until they’re worn out,” Harriz told FMT.