Having the budget of a college student in New York City is hard enough without having to worry about fitting fashion into the equation. When trying to serve looks on a budget, it’s easy to turn to ready-to-wear fashion like H&M and Forever 21 as cheaper alternatives to more expensive brands, but the cheap quality of ready-to-wear clothing has limited longevity and often comes with negative effects on workers and the environment. NYU first-year and UNItiques intern Emily Goes has a solution.

Her personal online store on UNItiques is created exclusively for NYU students to sell their fashionable used clothes in support of sustainable fashion. On designated drop-off days, NYU students drop off their used clothing at Goes’ room in Brittany Residence Hall. Goes carefully curates the online store by choosing trendy, non-basic items that are free of stains, odors or damage.

“I’ve worked a lot within the NYU community to market UNItiques, and I was so excited by the overwhelmingly positive response,” Goes said. “I ended up receiving over 120 items.”

After receiving the clothing, she prepares to sell the items online by having a photoshoot with NYU student models and photographers. After posting the photos online, clothes will usually sell within the week they are posted, but if not, they are available for purchase until the end of the semester. Clothes are resold on the website for 50 to 75 percent off their original price, offering a cheaper and more environmentally conscious alternative to fast-fashion. After the clothes are sold on her online store, Goes compensates the seller.

Goes, who is a drama student at Tisch School of the Arts, is new to the business world. She became involved with the company by being connected to a member of the UNItiques team and applying to work with them after which she was offered an internship.

“Being part of the UNItiques team has been really enlightening,” Goes said. “Any girl can be an entrepreneur by turning their closets into cash with UNItiques.”

Besides allowing NYU students to come together to sell their clothes, UNItiques provides an environmentally conscious way to consume. Goes believes that students who work and sell with UNItiques are environmentally conscious.

“[UNItiques is] making the world and their wallets much greener by encouraging individuals to reuse and recycle fashion,” Goes said.  

While fashion exchange stores are becoming more prevalent in the city, UNItiques is a great way to get involved within the NYU community not just to shop great looks but also to practice sustainability, and Goes is looking to make it even more accessible.

“I’m very excited to see what will come with my next UNItiques journey,” Goes said. “I’m currently planning another drop off day and potentially a pop-up shop for customers to see the clothes in person rather than just online.”

So if you’re looking to refresh your look this spring, look no further than NYU UNItiques.

Email Emma Hernando at [email protected].