SPENCER BISPHAM / MANAGING EDITOR

For many USD students, second-hand clothing is a necessity. One reason for this need might be accessibility, since the fashion industry has been hardly immune to recent inflation. Another reason for second-hand clothing is quality, as the overall production value of garments around the world has shrunk dramatically since the 1990s. The third, and arguably one of the most popular reasons, is a need to stand out: a need for undeterred self expression. In this case, it’s no surprise that students seek out shopping locations which appear to meet these needs… enter Razkal Market.

Located at Queen Bee’s Arts and Cultural Center in North Park, Razkal Market has integrated USD students into its hybrid business model: a second-hand, vintage market that all centers around a same-day fashion show. Vendors include a multitude of local clothing brands, vintage resellers and expert local craftspeople.

The creators of the event, Hugo Solórzano and Mariano Perez-Appel spoke about the story behind the market and the ethos that drives its expansion. 

“When I think about Razkal, it’s just fun, man,” Perez-Appel said. “We want to express our passion for clothing and fashion and all that stuff… It would be a disservice not to spread it to anybody else.”

Solórzano added that in addition to fun, Razkal is making fashion more accessible to the mainstream population.

“What we’re doing is kind of breaking boundaries, in the sense that fashion is so ‘elite,’” Solórzano added. “The one thing we were really adamant about Razkal was our pricing… we want everyone to afford our next collection but also for our market, we want this to be as fun and affordable as possible.”

When Solórzano and Perez-Appel started Razkal just three years ago, they were screen-printing vintage t-shirts in their free time. Never did they  imagine their clothing brand would be hosting a market and fashion show. Now, having just finished their third Razkal Market on March 16, they reflect on how far they’ve come.

“It was just everything coming against us,” Perez-Appel stated. “On paper, the last [second] market we did was supposed to be even better than the first. It went well for the circumstances, but in the background we were stressing.” 

Perez-Appel added that one of the issues during the last show was with having such a large group of models, to which Solórzano added that they didn’t yet know the models.

“It was our first time having models under us,” Solórzano recalled. “Models that, mind you, are random people we’ve never met. We were trying to meet these people, get everything under control and then run the whole [thing]. We had support but at the end of the day it’s just the two of us trying to make it all work.”

Among this group of random people was USD junior, Willie “Legacie” Allen (they/he). They spoke about their experience getting recruited to the show through a mutual friend.

“I first found out about the Razkal show through my friend Zyan,” Legacie said. “She actually texted me and said she was going to add me to this group chat on Instagram DMs, and I was going to be in a fashion show, and boom… You’d get added to the group chat and they would ask you to send your sizes for the show and for the vendors.”

Legacie noted that their experience in the show was overall positive, even when they were in a time crunch.

“They asked if you wanted to do more than one look, and I chose to, so I would say that it was very fast. We didn’t have a lot of time to process what’s going on or really just get into the new clothes. I remember I did the maximum number of looks so obviously mine were a little fast-paced, but it was still a very nice show,” they said.

Along with complementary food and water for the models, Legacie also mentioned that Razkal Market was a welcoming space for all forms of gender expression.

“I do cross dress [dress outside one’s gender norms], so that would be important to add to the show,” they said. “That was a very welcoming space for a male-identifying body, a human to be in a mini-skirt and heels. Everyone’s very welcoming of that, and supportive of who I am. I brought all of my shoes and I quit myself with the accessories. There were some vendors that also had accessories, but I do remember being able to go home and grab shoes for certain looks after I figured out what I was going to wear.”

USD junior Tatiana Glisovich frequents different vintage market events around San Diego. She agreed with Allen that this sense of inclusion makes it easier to enjoy yourself in such a space.

“I want to feel excited and invited to come in,” she said. “I feel like it’s very intimidating coming into these vintage markets sometimes, because there’s so many unique things, stuff that people wouldn’t normally go for… I want to be in an environment where I feel welcomed and invited, and just have fun shopping and developing your own personal style.”

Tony Morales is a first-year student at USD who also resells vintage clothing. While he hadn’t heard of Razkal Market before, he was enchanted by how it’s presented online.

“Based on their Instagram, they look great,” he said. “I like that they have their own brand and style and their vibes look great. I’m willing to attend to see how they are and what they have at their pop-ups.”

For those like Morales who are interested in attending Razkal Market, their next event is slated for late spring or early summer. 

Model Ren Terry in Razkal’s latest show wearing an outfit from the brand SIL. Emma-Kate Squires/The USD Vista