Atlanta Thrift Stores: Kinder Commerce

As one of the largest cities in the nation, Atlanta offers some of the best shopping one can find, especially in the South. Although Buckhead and Lenox Square contain luxury shops and boutiques galore, the real treasures can be found in thrift and consignment stores across the city. Plus, there are hidden gems all around the state. 

Why should you skip the retail stores in search of used clothing or goods? Easy. Second-hand prices will always be kinder to your wallet. Recycled clothes and furniture are kinder to the environment. And, thrift/consignment stores are often kinder to the communities around them. Now, I’ll tell you about the best spots! 

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Erica Elan Ciganek: A Natural Resource + Art

“...With her portraits, she focuses intimately on the intersection of women and the significance of encountering one another. Her process of creating is done in hopeful, clumsy defiance of a culture of rampant dehumanization.”This is how Artist and Painter Erica Elan Ciganek is described on the Arts Council for Long Beach, California’s website.

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Abi Ocia: Music from the Soul

“Everything I was is now haunting / My soul is desperately wanting / Clean my feet and breathe / on me, honey / Where are you?”

-Abi Ocia

These lines from the first verse of Abi Ocia’s “Where Are You?” perfectly capture the tone of her music: ethereal, soulful, and introspective. Ocia is an up and coming alternative R&B singer from West London. She made waves in 2016 with her single “Running,” produced by British producer Draper.

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Pacita Abad: Breaking Borders with Feminist Art

When traveling to another state, country, or even continent, it is not uncommon to be presented with an entirely new culture unlike one’s own. These new cultural experiences may come in the form of new customs, food, or even a completely different lifestyle. Arguably the most important, however, is the ability to experience new art. Art reflects the most important qualities of what makes a culture unique, and the native art of each culture varies vastly. As the world becomes more intertwined, with travel and the internet, the exchange of art becomes increasingly important as a tool to understand other cultures. Through examining the works of Pacita Abad, multicultural art becomes a lens with which we can view the world as a whole.

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Susan Alexandra: PlayGround Fantasy

Most generations have a playground trend, like kendamas or silly bands, that spread through schools like a wildfire. Millennials in America were obsessed with beaded crafts, from lizard shaped keychains, friendship bracelets to handmade purses that could barely hold a wallet. Every kid either beaded or knew someone who did. And like most of these typical kids’ crafting trends, it was expected to be nothing but a nostalgic memory once you left school. But, fashion designer Susan Alexandra refused to let the fun, vibrant appeal of this craft go to waste. 

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Sufjan Stevens: Following His Own Tune

Spirituality, sexuality and Americana don’t usually go hand in hand. The terms can at first seem contradictory, but American musician Sufjan Stevens combines them as his influences, along with folk and indie rock, to create a wholly unique sound that not even he can replicate from album to album. The Musician is perhaps best known for his soundtrack for the 2017 film, “Call Me By Your Name,” where his song “Mystery of Love” was later performed at the Oscars, but Stevens has been around for decades, making critically acclaimed music that speaks on deeply personal topics, despite Stevens being a private person outside of his music. As Stevens stated in a 2015 interview with the London-based magazine Uncut, “You have to cast out your demons and rebel against your traditions, but you always have to crawl back to the motherland.” Stevens’ music pushes and pulls from his surroundings, but he is always tied to his own histories and traditions. 

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