MOBILE, Ala. — Nostalgia filled the Mobile Convention Center on Sunday as shoppers browsed racks of one-of-a-kind finds during a stop by Totally Rad Vintage Fest, a traveling vintage marketplace that has been making its way across the Southeast.
The event brought together 66 vendors from across the country, offering clothing, bags, games, movies and other collectibles spanning the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s to shoppers in downtown Mobile.
More Than Just One Decade
Vendor Nessa Smiles said the fest’s appeal comes from the way it lets shoppers see fashion and style trends resurface across generations. “We’re all getting the cycle; it’s all getting around. But it’s really cool to see, like all the differences, like people are getting to see like from different generations,” Smiles said, adding that vendors don’t limit themselves to a single decade. “Just because we’re not boxed into just being just solely vintage. Because there is just so much more that you can find out there that isn’t per se vintage, but it’s still secondhand.”
Vendor Don Jooly encouraged shoppers to focus less on labels and more on how they wear what they find. “Go for something that you think is cool, you know, because it’s not about what you wear. It’s about how you wear it, you know?” Jooly said.
Sustainability and Supporting Small Vendors
Several shoppers said buying secondhand offered a more sustainable alternative to fast fashion. “We already have so many clothes. Might as well reuse them, right? If they’re just going to go in the trash and they look this amazing, I’m going to wear it,” shopper Nashya Lenza said.
Local shopper Tyler Grigsby Carvin said supporting vintage vendors also means supporting the people who put in the work to source unique pieces. “When you go to local vendors such as places like this, you’re helping the little guy. You’re helping the people who work hard,” Carvin said. “It’s all about getting out and helping the people who are trying to help you.”
Next Stop: Birmingham
Totally Rad Vintage Fest will continue its tour with its next stop in Birmingham on Saturday, Aug. 8. The traveling event has built a following among vintage collectors and casual shoppers alike by bringing a rotating cast of vendors and merchandise to cities across the region.