New/Ish is a second-hand resale clothing store based in Calgary that aims to create a community around sustainable fashion. The founder of New/Ish, Bianca Saudelli, started the project by reselling clothing on her Instagram page, which has since grown to a collective of resellers who share the same passion: vintage.
New/Ish models itself as a unique space that is one of a kind. Saudelli opened her storefront in 2021 and welcomed her first vendor, DB studios by Desiree Bella. Bella and Saudelli each curated their own selection of second-hand clothes from thrift stores, estate sales, and garage sales.
Saudelli’s store began to grow further when she made a call for vendors to operate in New/Ish. The store now has a total of ten vendors. Each seller has their own specific taste and style that makes New/Ish a diverse selection of clothing.
Ugh.itsvintage by Trista Catonio is one of the vendors at New/Ish. Like Saudelli, Catonio also started out with a reselling Instagram page, where she started posting her personal clothes for sale. Catonio attended the ReLove vintage pop-up market in May of 2021, and quickly found a community of like-minded folks who also held an interest in vintage reselling.
New/Ish aspires to be its own individual experience of second-hand shopping. Not quite a consignment store, yet not quite a typical for-profit online reseller.
New/Ish does not accept donations, as this would hinder the curation process and suppress the personal style of the vendors.
New/Ish tries to make their prices as accessible as possible so they can cater to a wide variety of people. “A lot of people do it to make money; I do it to offer style and fashion,” said Saudelli.
“I think there’s a huge myth when it comes to reselling. People think that resellers are taking away from thrift stores; the reality is that the majority of the stuff from thrift stores end up going to landfills.” – Trista Catonio.
Less than a quarter of clothes given to charities are sold at thrift stores, according to this 2018 article from CBC.
Saudelli describes how she prices her garments, “The time that we take to go to the stores to select it, to upcycle it, to wash it, rework it, all of these things.” Saudelli continues, “We don’t get paid hourly, I haven’t been able to pay myself. Everything earned goes back into the business.”
Saudelli’s main goal for New/Ish is to create a community hub with the store. Her focus remains on keeping her shop a safe and welcoming space for everybody, where folks can explore their personal style without judgement.
Saudelli has reached out to local photographers, models, musicians, and artists to welcome them into New/Ish. “We’re more than just a store. They can use our space for a set. We can have a live music show.”
New/Ish recently held their first live music event on Dec. 11. Saudelli has hopes to continue to host events similar to this on a monthly basis, so she can further create a community within the shop.
