Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Teodoro.
Joshua, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have been thrifting ever since I was in high school and I initially started selling things I would find on Depop when it was first starting up just for fun and to clean out my closet… Once I got into college, I took a break from it to focus primarily on my studies but I would always get asked where I get my clothes and my answer would be the thrift store majority of the time. Once I graduated from CSULB with a Health Science degree I was pretty focused on finding a career in the field but it was taking a while and I had a lot of extra time that I had no idea what to do with, and that’s when I started to think about creating my small business online.
I have no business background but I understand the basics of marketing and how social media can have on making a successful one. I took my knowledge of fashion (what is trending, how accessible it is, and how much it would be in a regular retailer) and formatted the skeleton of ‘From Me To You’.
People may not have time to go thrifting on their own or they get overwhelmed by the amount of clothes that they have to sift through and give-up without really digging through all the racks. I go thrifting a lot and I always find unique pieces that reflect on today’s resurrection of 90’s and 00’s fashion so why not grab them and sell it to the public in a quick and easy way?
2020 started and I initially started posting up the product on the Instagram and Depop account but I wanted to stand out more and be taken a bit seriously compared to my competitors because of the thrifting + vintage scene is really competitive. To make my brand more unique, I asked my supportive friends to model the clothes for me to show how wearable these pieces are through media campaign photo + videoshoots, and I have been loving it ever since!
COVID-19 came around after 2-months of building my brand so it took a toll on how active I was on it since thrift stores were closed but I used that time to reflect and restructure FMTY’s strong and weak points. Now we are back up and running and using the Instagram account primarily for updates, campaigns, and outfit inspiration while Depop will display everything in a gallery view for easy shopping and to prevent flooding on IG.
I created the new mission statement, “FMTY strives for a sustainable way to shop for trendy and unique pieces that benefit our communities while staying unapologetically ourselves”. Starting from here on out 40% of every purchase will be collected and donated to foundations that support POC, LGBT+, and Low-Income communities and I am really excited to see what the future has in store for the brand!
Has it been a smooth road?
The biggest obstacle was COVID-19 which prevented me from going out and finding new products to add to the store but product still continued to sell on the Depop account which gave me hope that after this was all over, I can jump right back in.
I work on this brand on my own. I create all the marketing, shoot all the pictures and videos, and package everything so that in itself can be pretty time-consuming but I honestly love it since it allows my creativity to flow while I balance my ‘big boy’ career in Health Science.
Another obstacle would be ‘popularity’ and ‘outreach’ since there are so many vintage and thrift accounts out there already that have already built a name for themselves in the game. Luckily I have supportive friends that let the word out and the customers I already have are continually loving the product. But the brand is still new and I just have to be patient and work hard while maintaining the brand’s look and aesthetic.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with From Me To You (FMTY) – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
From Me To You is an online ’boutique-like’ thrift store that showcases trendy and unique pieces that are inspired by today’s resurrection of 90’s and 00’s fashion! I try my best to find authentic pieces that are one-of-a-kind that allows anyone to be unapologetically themselves through fashion.
FMTY offers a variety of today’s popular aesthetics from simple, edgy, and streetwear styles that are both affordable and high-quality. Vintage or Retailers can be drastically expensive (some for good reason) but I want to make fashion accessible to everyone.
I am mostly proud of our new initiative to donate to foundations that will benefit our communities especially with today’s social climate. I want to help out the best way that I can and using my brand to do so has made me confident on what I am producing since I don’t really see many brands doing it for the long-run.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Los Angeles is so diverse with a multitude of cultures and it’s hard to not see that. People love to show-out with their outfits and anyone rarely makes a big deal out of it. That’s why I think Los Angeles is one of the best cities to come to for fashion inspiration since everyone dresses so differently and unapologetically. This also reflects on the art, food, and cultures seen everywhere in the city that is open for anyone to dip their feet into.
Although Los Angeles is beautiful with diversity there can be issues with ego. In my opinion, fashion is a pretty big deal around here and people really take into heart where they get their pieces from and the brands they support which can cause an issue with small businesses trying to grow like myself. It’s pretty hard to make a name for yourself in this city because there is already numerous businesses that have been doing it for a long time.
Pricing:
- I try to keep everything affordable based on the pieces so it ranges from $10-$50 depending.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fmtyshop/
- Other: https://www.depop.com/fmtyshop/
Image Credit:
Self Portrait Photo by Mar Wagas (Instagram: @club2marz); Campaign + Flatlays by Joshua Teodoro (Instagram: @itszuose)
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