Ethical Fashion Initiative’s Hosts First Vendor Event of the Semester
Students shopping at the first EFI vendor event of the year. Photo by Ava Battinelli '26
Numerous clothing and accessory racks were rolled into the Student Center River Rooms as Marist University’s Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) club prepared for its first vendor event of the year on Sept. 17.
A few times per semester, EFI hosts vendor events that allow students to shop sustainably made pieces and pre-loved clothing sold by small businesses and student vendors.
It is widely understood that sustainability has gained an increasingly important role in fashion. A study by First Insight concluded that out of Gen Z shoppers, 62% prefer buying from sustainable brands.
A common setback in ethical shopping, especially for college students, stems from the idea that environmentally friendly options are not as accessible or affordable as fast fashion.
Haley Reyes ‘28, who attended the vendor event, said, “Sometimes sustainable clothing shops are more expensive than they should be, especially now because it's getting so popular and people are thrifting to resell.”
Luckily, opportunities like EFI’s vendor events allow students at Marist University to practice sustainability right here on campus, without the hefty price tag.
“I like when the students are selling things,” said Rebecca Wall ‘28. “It’s cheap and good for students to be involved.”
According to Sophia Hamilton ‘26, Vice President of EFI, these events have been happening for years now, though she explained that its newest board members took it to the next level.
“Our board is brand new as of last year, and the vendor events have been a big hit since then,” said Hamilton.
But what is EFI all about? Almost ten years ago, EFI began promoting, supporting and educating students on sustainability and ethical shopping options.
Aside from vendor events, the club organizes a plethora of campus activities such as semester sweep outs, sustainable giveaways, crafting events, sustainability fairs, collaborations with other Marist organizations and panelist events with the CEO of Hudson Valley Sustainable Fashion week.
You may have also seen these go-getters at Fashion Fest in the spring, a collaborative vendor event with MPorium, Silver Needle Runway and Measure Magazine.
Looking forward, Hamilton expressed great excitement for EFI this semester and recounted the success of their first meeting.
“We had about 70 people at our first general meeting, which is huge for the club,” she said.
The vice president gives additional insight regarding the event’s planning process. She explained, “The planning is very extensive because if we have outside vendors, we need a lot of paperwork from them, and we have to take things up with the school.”
But why do these vendors come to Marist?
It seems as though selling in Poughkeepsie has become quite the desirable gig. Hamilton stated, “There are a lot of vendors that we have repeatedly. One of our vendors comes down from the city, and they love it here because they make the most sales out of all the other vendor events that they go to.”
When asked how the club finds these sellers, Hamilton explained that they send out emails to offer students the chance to sell what they have, though outside vendors usually find them via Instagram.
While some of the vendors may have a higher price range for rare vintage pieces, student attendees say that they managed to find some gems in their price range.
“I got a bunch of cheap things like a $5 T-shirt and an $8 belt,” said Wall.
With all this planning considered, Hamilton feels that it is all worth it in the end.
“We do it every semester and it's always so refreshing when it all comes together at the end,” she said. “Everyone shows up and enjoys shopping.