Vintage clothing pop-up shop PopUpOx4d gave UM students and Oxford locals an opportunity to explore fashion on Sunday, Feb. 4 at the Old Armory Pavilion. Pop-up clothing shops and vendors — some without brick-and-mortar locations — sell clothes in temporary settings.
Joe Hogue Jr., an Oxford native, created PopUpOx4d. The junior marketing major has a love of clothing and a passion for business.
“Freshman year, me and a few of my friends…all had a similar interest in vintage clothes and I just kind of figured all these people sell cool clothes,” Hogue said. “They carry the same vibe, privately, like their Instagrams (and) like Depop, so why don’t I do a live market for this?”
This event began two years ago during the Double Decker Arts Festival. It has since moved from the Oxford Skate Park to a house and later to the Old Armory Pavilion. Now, through a deal with the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, Hogue and the pop-up vendors have the space to spread out.
The vendors were given about a week in advance to reserve a 10-feet-by-6-feet booth. There were about 25 spots available, all of which were claimed by sellers within 24 hours. Spots were $70 each, including the $10 sales tax deposit.
“It’s first-come first-serve, and there’s a few people who show up early. They get the same spots every time, which is super cool,” Hogue said.
The vendors are the key part of this entire experience.
“I could not do this at all without any of the vendors, as this is insane,” Hogue said. “But it’s only insane because all the pieces come together and every piece is vital for this to be successful at all.”
Oxford native and recent UM graduate Lilly Hunter enjoys the opportunity to be a vendor at PopUpOx4d.
“(The clothing) is a lot of stuff that I remember my mom or dad wearing when I was growing up,” Hunter said. “It’s stuff I have distinct memories of, and then I like seeing people walk away with it. It’s like new, fun, happy memories for people.”
Oxonians and students are given an opportunity to buy clothing and accessories that typical Oxford boutiques do not sell. Instead, pop-up vendors deal in vintage styles, providing a curated thrifting experience. Sophomore psychology and political science double major Miller Johnson loved attending the event.
“It was sort of like going thrifting, but all of the pieces were hand-picked. I enjoyed that aspect of it,” Johnson said. “There were some super cool vendors and pieces. I went with a friend, and we both had a great time looking through every booth and talking to the sellers about how they found each piece.”
Hogue shared his enjoyment of and dedication to organizing the pop-up and the future he hopes that it holds.
“It really is worth it at the end of the day when all these things come into fruition, and there’s still so much work that I want to put into this event,” Hogue said. “I’m just so excited for what’s on the horizon for it.”
PopUpOx4d typically hosts events every month, meaning the next one could be here as soon as a few weeks.
