The Vault x oLiv: A Flea Market for Fashion Fanatics
Written by Giselle Franco
On Sunday, March 9th, 2025, The Vault hosted a flea market at oLiv Madison apartments, filled with members and non-Vault members alike. Student creatives displayed their goods through market stalls where they sold their items. These vendors sold various types of merchandise. Anything from clothing or jewelry they made and designed, to cool vintage clothing, to garments and gameday apparel. Shoppers came to oLiv to browse all of the goods and to talk with vendors about their inspiration for their pieces and what style means to them!
The event began at 12 pm and lasted through 5 pm. The market was high energy, and combined with a warm, sunny day, people were out and in the mood to shop. Refreshments such as Red Bull energy drinks were provided to guests for free in the cooler, and the multitude of camp-themed decorations of oLiv helped set the scene for a very stylish day.
The 30 plus vendors selling at the Flea Market were greeted with curious and inspired shoppers, looking to both browse and buy. There was clothing for people of all genders and identifications, as well as accessories and shoes for people of all ages!
From a shopper’s perspective, my friends and I browsed and found a lot of items we really liked. I loved all of the vintage pieces that were found in European thrift stores and bought from vendors abroad. My sports fanatic friend loved all of the vintage jerseys and shirts that were found near the window, such as the 2002 Los Angeles Lakers piece that was being sold. This event truly had an item for everyone to enjoy, either as eye candy or as something unique to put in their closet.
The Vault partnered with Depop, a social media shopping app created for selling and buying merchandise for this event. Sloane Fuhr, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a brand representative for Depop, set up a booth at the flea market to talk about sustainability in fashion as well as upcycling and what it means, while handing out Depop merch for the shoppers!
The Vault flea market was a successful event. Shoppers purchased cute, creative, and stylish pieces, while also getting to support their peers! The partnership with Depop was a great way for browsers to receive free merchandise while learning more about the ethics of fashion and how to shop sustainably. The collaboration of creatives and businesses during this event is what The Vault hopes to always promote!
Edited by Hana Razvi, Quinn Diedrich & Sim Khanuja
