This post was updated April 18 at 9:06 p.m.
With an Earth Day-themed celebration, April’s edition of Broxton Nights brought together small businesses, The Pop-Up Shoppes, new Bruins and locals to exchange clothing on Broxton Avenue.
Broxton Nights occurs on the second Saturday of each month in Westwood Village. For the first time, Broxton Nights, organized by the Westwood Village Improvement Association, was hosted in collaboration with The Pop-Up Shoppes, a business that brings local small businesses together through curated night markets and festivals.
“We’re just really excited to see what this kind of new partnership will bring. It’ll bring a new energy,” said Megan Furey, director of programs and partnerships for the WVIA. “It will be a lot more curated than our other events.”
Sergio Bindel, the founder of The Pop-Up Shoppes, said the market aimed to be environmentally friendly in its outlook, inviting permanent jewelry brands and eco-conscious clothing booths to table.
“Whether it be business practices, the materials they use (or) the processes of how they make their products, it’s all going to be eco-friendly,” he said.
Alyssa Hilton, owner of The Gypsy Trip Boutique, a family-run boutique selling clothing and accessories collected from worldwide travels, said one of the things that makes Broxton Nights special is the friendliness of the community.
Karen Jacho, owner of Ecuamex cafe, added that she appreciates the event organizers’ assistance in setting up her pop-up.
“We didn’t know how to turn on the generator, so they assisted us in turning it on,” Jacho said. “We forgot our menu; they helped us print out our menu, and it’s been amazing.”
At the event, local businesses Succulent District and Splatterz Studio hosted a collaboration where community members could buy a succulent and paint its pot. The event also included free giveaways of laundry detergents, fabric softeners and raffle tickets per purchase from a small business in exchange for prizes such as a free night stay at the W Hotel in Westwood.
Attendees said they were happy with the activity options and Earth Day themes’ impact on nurturing sustainability practices.
“You can do a bunch of local shopping all in one go without having to travel super far, and it’s really accessible for students since it’s right by the UCLA campus,” said Ava Skinner, a first-year human biology and society student. “A lot of the fashion looks look like it’s recycled or vintage which is good for the planet, and it’s not fast fashion.”
The night also featured an eco-friendly clothing swap activity, where community members could bring 10 pieces of clothing and swap for 10 other pieces.
Reyes Baca, who hosted the clothing swap, said she was excited to see how many people turned out to the event and care about sustainable shopping.
“I’m actually super stoked about the turnout today. There’s been a lot of people,” she said. “It’s good to see people that care about sustainability and shopping a closed-circle loop.”
For future improvements, attendees expressed their wish for more diverse vendors at upcoming Broxton Nights events. Vivian Orta, a first-year art student, said she would appreciate the market inviting more student-vendors in the future, including ones who sell a wider variety of goods than just clothes.
However, Bindel said the event already tries to incorporate the Bruin community.
“A couple of our vendors are UCLA alumni, … some of them are current students at UCLA,” he said. “We really tried to involve the local school to be involved with these events, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
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