Bending over trays of jade pendants, gemstone brooches and old watches, Dianne Gupta takes her time as she sifts through a heap of tangled necklaces and rings.
“I enjoy the hunt. It’s like finding hidden treasure when I see something I like,” she says, drifting from stall to stall along Apliu Street, well known for second-hand and vintage stalls, in Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po neighbourhood.
Several years ago, Gupta – who has been buying preloved items since she was a child – found a pair of Miu Miu flats for HK$35 (US$4.50) at a charity shop in Central, on Hong Kong Island. She is chasing that same high today.
She is not alone – shoppers around the world are increasingly turning to different kinds of outlets and spaces to look for luxury fashion.
Influencer Dianne Gupta in Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po neighbourhood. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Gupta loves to go thrifting in Sham Shui Po. Photos: Jonathan WongThis is also the case in Hong Kong, where Japanese resale brand Ragtag recently opened a store in Causeway Bay, joining a growing roster of second-hand luxury players in the city.