For The Girls Vintage Market brought Y2K fashion finds to Durham Central Park on Aug. 16. This marks the brand’s third stop in the Triangle after primarily establishing its presence in Charlotte.
For The Girls Vintage Market is a women-led collective that hosts monthly pop-up events with unique themes. This particular event celebrated 2000s-inspired fashion.
Trini Estrada and Alexandria Monet, vintage resellers and the co-founders of For The Girls Vintage Market, aim to create space for women in the vintage resale community.
“We quickly began to realize that vintage markets are heavily male-dominated,” Monet said. “We were talking about that one day and thought, ‘There should be a space for women in retail.’”
Each vendor brought their own individual style, showcasing a variety of Y2K-style clothing such as rare handbags and nostalgic 2000s brands. While the majority of vendors were women, a few male sellers also participated, offering a variety of men’s and unisex clothing.
Standout items included handmade jewelry from Petal Head Shop, cruelty-free makeup from Cactus Beauty Boutique and tooth gems by Dreem Gemz.
Shoppers hunted for the perfect pieces with friends and family. The mix of styles and aesthetics made the market feel like a mini fashion show, a sight that perfectly reflected For The Girls’ mission to create a safe space for self-expression.
There were a wide range of vendors that offered something for everyone. For example, visitors uninterested in clothing or makeup could shop stickers and blind bags from Kiwi Soup Shop or trinkets and accessories from Cutie Hut.
For those looking for a break from shopping or the summer heat, Magnolia’s Café, a family-owned pop-up, offered drinks and treats that added to the market’s community atmosphere.
In an era where third-place culture is slowly disintegrating, For the Girls Vintage Market provides a fun escape from everyday routines. Whether you’re a high-fashion fanatic or just in the area looking for something to do, these markets create an essential community space.
As part of its expansion, For The Girls Vintage Markets aims to have its Raleigh-Durham pop-ups at least once a month, matching the frequency of its Charlotte events. Their next market in the Triangle is scheduled for Sept. 13.
“We’re doing a ‘whimsical twee’ aesthetic market that incorporates a lot of funky colors inspired by the 60s and 70s,” Estrada said. “It’s so fun that all the vendors get excited and keep the theme in mind while they’re collecting items.”
As part of the promotion, Monet plans to visit universities across North Carolina to give sustainability talks, further extending the brand’s push for change.
On Sept.18, Monet will join a panel discussion following the screening of “Refabricate,” a short experimental documentary about sustainable fashion innovation in the Raleigh-Durham area. The event will be held at 5:30 p.m. in D.H. Hill Library’s Fishbowl Forum.
Monet and Estrada are no strangers to activism. In June, they hosted a raffle and donated the proceeds to Carolina Migrant Network, a nonprofit that provides free legal representation to people in detention or facing deportation. The initiative particularly resonated with Estrada, a first-generation daughter of Mexican immigrants. The raffle raised more than $500.
In July, the pair were vendors at Bum Busters, an annual charity event supporting organizations that assist survivors of domestic violence, deepening their efforts to merge social impact with community engagement.
If you’re interested in learning more about For The Girls Vintage Market and their upcoming events, you can follow their Instagram @forthegirlsmkt for future updates.
