Frau Gerold Garten, Zürich Switzerland
The journey started long before I realized it. My love of thrifting began when my family moved from South Korea to Canada. It was eye-opening to see the widespread second-hand culture. To me, thrift stores were more than just shopping spots; they were living museums, reminiscent of visits to my grandma’s place filled with vintage textiles, old-fashioned tableware, and outdated pictures framed in rustic frames in the new country. Soon, I developed a love for thrifting clothes. It was rewarding to spot great finds at a fraction of the retail price. I grew so fond of thrifting that even when I travel, I always check out local second-hand stores because it's one of the most interesting ways to learn about local people's lives and stories.
The hobby grew into a passion and vision during my stay in Switzerland. As a hiking enthusiast, I used to spend weekends climbing up and down the breathtaking faces of the Alps. I never wanted to imagine losing these beautiful sceneries to climate change and all kinds of pollution we're contributing to on Earth.
Seeing how Swiss people seamlessly blend hand-me-down clothes, tableware, and furniture to give them second lives awakened me to connect the dots: what if we become accustomed to the idea of second-hand, followed by third-hand, fourth-hand, and so on?
The vision for Ode Scenery is simple but ambitious: to capture the beauty in our everyday things and normalize second-hand without the ‘sustainable’ label, without having to justify why it’s a better/conscious choice. To normalize means to enjage the majority of people. We’re in this together, and we'll do it creatively. We invite you to join us—it’ll be a fun and meaningful ride :)
Julie