New on-campus club helps students create own online businesses

Naomi Baker
Thu, 07 Feb 2019 03:19:00 +0000
Arts & Life, News, app, businesses, Caroline Ricke, clothes, clothing, club, depop, fashion, fashion enthusiasts, on-campus, online, passion, shop, shopping app, store, students, Winter Grimm

Club co-founders Winter Grimm, a third-year in fashion and retail studies, and Caroline Ricke, a second-year in marketing, pose for a Depop brand ambassador photo shoot in Columbus. Credit: courtesy of Gabriella Talassazan

Bringing in a little extra cash has gotten easier now that a new student organization teaches students to make money on the side through fashion.

Depop, named after a social shopping app that lets users sell pre-owned clothing for off-the-market prices, was founded last semester to educate fashion enthusiasts to make money off their passion: clothes.

The idea started when the two co-founders, Winter Grimm, a third-year in fashion and retail studies, and Caroline Ricke, a second-year in marketing, met at a Depop event and felt other students could benefit from learning to use the app.

“We thought it would be fun to meet people who were interested in the same type of fashion to get together and share their style, but also make money on the side,” Grimm said.

After using Depop for more than a year, Ricke said she knew students would enjoy it because it requires little effort and gives users the opportunity to make a profit. ?

Grimm said the organization is about more than just bonding over clothes as it allows members to make money when they begin selling their clothes online. She said the members can become entrepreneurs because they learn what it takes to run a business of marketing and selling their old clothing.

Known for selling alternative fashion, Depop challenges group members to dress outside of the norm.

“On campus and in Columbus in general, people dress more conservative, so I think the club can help expand people’s minds in terms of fashion, and get more of a broader range of style than what we see on campus,” Jacob Brandt, a third-year in social work and secondary leader of Depop, said.

Brandt said the club mirrors several trends in the fashion industry.

“Wardrobes are always changing, especially with trend of fast fashion, so people aren’t wearing their clothes for long periods of time,” Brandt said. “Using Depop, old clothes won’t go to waste and students can earn money, too.”

Ricke said the club supports recycling trends in the industry because clothes aren’t being thrown away after people are done with them.

Although the club is in its beginning stages, Depop has big plans for the future.

“We want to take our meetings outside of the traditional setting and do more hands-on things like going thrifting to teach our members which clothes could sell best, or having photo shoots so everyone could learn how to take the best pictures to put on the app,” said Grimm.

Ricke said interested students don’t have to be into fashion to be a member of the organization.

“The club is for anyone with any interest,” Ricke said. “If someone just wants to know how to make quick money or just learn more about fashion, they’re welcome to be a part of the club.”

Depop can be found on Instagram at @OSUDepopClub for more information about events and meetings.