Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Wolff.
Hi Andy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri and I moved to Los Angeles a little over four years ago. I’m a freelance video editor by day and a dedicated thrifter in my free time. That passion has found a home on Instagram under the moniker MOMTHRIFT (@mom_thrift). IG might seem like a strange place to buy and sell clothes but there is a large and close-knit community of thousands of other vintage enthusiasts that share and sell their finds everyday. MOMTHRIFT was started as a way for me and my mom to stay connected through our shared love of thrifting after I moved across the country to L.A. My mom and I have been shopping, thrifting, and bargain hunting together since I can remember. It’s a fun way for us to hang out and learn about each other. She lived through the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, which is the exact era I’m digging for these days. It’s super helpful to have an insider point of view when it comes to learning the history of a piece or trying to guess what the next style to take off will be. She’s seen it all throughout the years so I trust her opinion. After making it to L.A., my mom and I would both thrift on the weekends, then call each other and compare our best finds.
A few months in, I suddenly found myself hoarding a huge stockpile of vintage threads, and I realized I was going to need to do something with all of it. Thus, the idea (and name) was born. When I went back to visit my mom for winter holiday, we started chatting about the whole thrifting venture. “Do it,” she said. “What’s the worst that can happen?” With the help of my partner, Sara, as Art Director, we established the iconic flower style and took off running. Now, three years later the page has grown bigger than I ever expected. I’ve found some seriously crazy pieces of clothing, had two amazing pop-up events, produced two independent fashion/lifestyle zines, as well as two short films (link in bio)! Yet somehow, I’m not tired of getting out there everyday and digging through endless racks of other people’s discarded clothes. It’s not glamorous, but it is rewarding and I love it. What makes MOMTHRIFT different is that I’m here to spread the knowledge and history of these garments. Thrifted clothes and vintage isn’t just for the in-crowd. It’s for anyone and everyone. All you have to do is have the patience and persistence to find the right piece.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Creating MOMTHRIFT and getting where we are now has been a pretty smooth and rewarding process. I think I’ve been really lucky in that way. I’m doing it all on my own terms and collaborating with friends to create something authentic and special. Though I’m still small and growing, I always feel like I’m right where I should be and I’m always pushing myself, not my expectations. It’s not about how many likes and followers the page is getting, though it’s nice to see feedback. To me, it’s about sharing the connection to these clothes and the history and culture surrounding them. It’s such a unique feeling when you know the right shirt has gone to the right home. Each year we’ve built on the vision in new ways and continued to push the limits of what we thought was our best work. I think our main challenge is finding new and inventive ways to give our audience more than just clothes.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a freelance video editor by day and an ardent thrifter in my free time. I wasn’t planning on being an editor when I moved to LA, but some things just fall into place. The past four years, I’ve been working for a variety of companies and mainly editing online content. These days I’m working with Disney+. My passion is vintage clothing and fashion in general. In the last two years, I’ve been lucky enough to blend my passion and my career by creating two hard copy independent fashion magazines with corresponding fashion-centric short films. All the content can be seen through the link in MOMTHRIFT’s bio. My work for MOMTHRIFT and the two pop-up events are my proudest moments since moving to LA.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The most important characteristic of my success is authenticity. I have stayed true to myself and my vision since day one. Neither the “stans” or the few haters will change what I set out to do. People can sense when you’re being authentic and will follow along for that reason alone, even if vintage clothes aren’t necessarily their favorite thing.
Pricing:
- Free Shipping is always included for customers within the US.
- Hundreds of items priced below $30
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: linktr.ee/momthrift
- Instagram: instagram.com/mom_thrift
Image Credits:
Sara Silkwood, Evan Melgren, Andy Wolff
