BY
Teo Hui Ying
Designer

Hype Issue #58

Published on

December 28, 2023

Located at Aperia Mall, The Hammock Market is a platform for online thrift stores and local sustainable small businesses to sell their products. Sellers of thrifted items and handmade goods embody the values of sustainability by following ethical business practices that take impacts to the community and our environment into account.

Local sustainable small businesses come together at The Hammock Market, check out @thehammockmarket on Instagram for more details of brands that will be coming on the day. Photo by Teo Hui Ying.

At the market, you can find a variety of items and brands, depending on the day you visit. The majority are thrift brands that sell thrifted pieces, from clothes to bags. You can also find crafts such as handmade crochet goods and accessories like necklaces, bracelets, and earrings that are made by local talents. Keep an eye out for special crockery and homewares too.

I headed down to The Hammock Market and here are some of the local sustainable businesses I spoke to.

Thrifted Wears: Second-hand clothing

Bobofits, a thrift store that sells curated thrifted wears, started when the wave of sustainable fashion trends hit Singapore. A representative from the brand mentioned that they decided to try their luck by starting their own business “in hopes of connecting with like-minded people with curated clothes”.

At Bobofits, you can find a variety of tees, from vintage to motor racing as well as brands like Harley Davidson and Carhartt Reworked. They also have cartoon design tees. Photo by Teo Hui Ying.

Most items at Bobofits are priced around $20 because they are specially curated. The brand agrees that it might be more expensive than what you would find on shopping platforms online, but it’s the quality that consumers are paying the extra for. “Most items will be of better quality than fast fashion clothes, as the clothes we have are made by good-quality manufacturers,” Bobofits said. Additionally, good-quality clothes can last longer than the low-quality ones that get worn out after a few wears.

Thrifting is one alternative to fast fashion as it’s more sustainable and doesn’t impact the environment negatively. Getting new clothes from fast fashion brands might be friendly on your wallet but it comes at a hefty price for the environment. Have you ever looked at the exceptionally low prices of items from fast fashion brands and wondered what drives them? Well, the cheap and harmful materials used, and the unethical work processes might be the reason for their affordability.

Bobofits sees sustainability as “the most obvious benefit of thrifting”, as they only sell second-hand items or reworked pieces.

However, even with the younger generation being more open to thrifting, there is still some scepticism, especially from the older generation. Some think that second-hand clothes are “not clean” or “dirty”, but Bobofits assures them that they clean the items before selling.

What I learned here

The cheap prices on items from fast fashion brands might be attractive and kind on our wallets, however, we should think about the impact that this has on our environment and community.

Thrifted Crockery: Second-hand Crockery

Entique (@entique___ on Instagram) is a brand that sells a curated selection of thrifted crockery. You can find both new and used crockery here. The owner of Entique started her business in April 2023 to satisfy her crockery thrifting obsession and her passion for it.

Entique thinks that there is an added value behind pre-owned and imperfect pieces. Since each item has been passed down from someone else, “it makes the item more valuable because there is a story and a history to it”. Photo by Teo Hui Ying.

Imperfections are what makes an item special. Entique believes that, “A dent or a chip shouldn’t entirely disqualify the value of an item, because they can always be used in unconventional ways, repurposed, or just simply admired.”

What I learned here

This experience had me asking myself, “Have I ever decided to discard something just because of a minor imperfection which made it less aesthetically pleasing?” We can be a conscious consumer by considering upcycling a defective item, and transforming them for a different purpose or usage.

Handmade Homewares

If you are looking to find more meaningful pieces, you can check out Curates Co. As the name suggests, you can find thoughtfully chosen high-quality homewares which are handmade by skilled artisans using traditional techniques and tools.

Mr Boey, a lecturer from the School of Design in Ngee Ann Polytechnic who teaches entrepreneurship and marketing, added that handmade goods help preserve traditional craftsmanship and skills and are meaningful pieces thoughtfully made by artisans.

Curates Co. revealed that each step of the manufacturing process is executed with the utmost attention to detail, bringing you one-of-a-kind pieces. Photo by Teo Hui Ying.

Curates Co. believes that these pieces not only serve their purpose but also “add beauty and meaning to one’s everyday life effortlessly”.

Curates Co. also ensures that they support sustainable practices, such as encouraging the “Bring Your Own Bag” (BYOB) campaign to customers shopping at their pop-ups.

“We’re also taking more sustainable initiatives to do our part for reducing plastic waste such as reusing bubble wrap, and using eco-friendly honeycomb wrapping papers,” Curates Co. said.

What I learned here

This again shows that it’s not difficult to be a mindful consumer and seller, a little effort goes a long way to improve the environment we live in.

Handmade Accessories

Uwumakes, which started off as a business that sold only handmade earrings, now sells handmade bracelets and necklaces too. The brand also handmakes unique beads and uses resin to create unique pieces for her customers.

Uwumakes started off making hand-assembled earrings as a hobby and her friends encouraged her to turn it into a business. Photo by Teo Hui Ying.

The owner of Uwumakes mentioned that she sources her supplies online ethically. Not only that, she also supports local suppliers by purchasing a majority of her beads from local bead stores in Singapore.

Moreover, she puts in a great deal of effort in complying with sustainable practices. She reuses the plastic and packaging from her suppliers to pack and ship out her customers’ orders.

“I would also collect magazines or used papers to create paper beads which will be used to make my accessories,” she added.

The owner of Uwumakes runs her business as sustainably as she can, even the racks used for her accessories display are second-hand. Going the extra mile, she also sets aside a portion of her profits for charity donations. She will then post a screenshot of the donation proof on Instagram to notify her followers or customers that they’ve helped contribute towards a good cause by purchasing from her. Uwumakes has donated to organisations such as Food Bank Singapore, Children’s Cancer Foundation, and Kitten Sanctuary Singapore.

She hopes that her customers will continue supporting her and realise that they can contribute to the community through supporting small businesses like hers with their purchases.

Mr Boey mentioned that environmental responsibility and resource efficiency are some of the elements needed in a sustainable business. “Consumers will need to educate themselves and make more informed decisions through research… before making [a] purchase,” Mr Boey said.

What I learned here

Instead of spending on cheap items from fast fashion brands that are not sustainable, why not consider spending on products from sustainable brands that follow ethical practices? You too can be a mindful consumer and choose to make more meaningful purchases through supporting sustainable local businesses at places like The Hammock Market.

The Hammock Market also offers free jagua and real tattoos, be sure to check out @thehammockmarket on Instagram for more details on the activities. Photo by Teo Hui Ying.

Be a mindful consumer and support local sustainable small businesses by visiting The Hammock Market. Keep yourself updated on the events’ dates through their Instagram page! You can catch the next event happening on Jan 6, at the Aperia Mall, from 11am to 6pm.