Meet Erica Ponder Reeves | Second Hand Stylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Erica Ponder Reeves and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erica, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I have always had an interest in “the creative” and creativity drives everything I do. I remember as a young elementary and middle student, I always looked forward to being assigned school projects. My project was never just “projects”, but rather a production that’s guaranteed to knock your socks off and give me an A. To this day, I still have projects in my possession that were just so good and so intricately put together that I do not have the heart to throw it away.

Creativity is the essence of who I am. It’s how I have always expressed myself. What I love about being a creative is that there are no bounds. Creativity comes in many forms and for me it’s song, dance, poetry, artwork, party themes, styling clothing and more. And the question I always keep in mind when creating, in any form, is how can I push the limits? How can I make it bigger, better, and fun, while staying true to myself?

As I got older, the opportunities to create were far and few in between. I became bogged down by the responsibilities of adulthood. The harrowing aspects of my day job in social services were starting to have an impact on my mental health. Then I became pregnant, unsure if I was even fit enough to be someone’s mother. While life hit hard, my desire to create was always present. It was during the pandemic of 2020 that I decided I was going to reclaim my creativity in the form of secondhand fashion. And that is how ThriftGift came to be.

ThriftGift is more than a business for me, it’s a necessity. It fulfills my inner creative. It’s my outlet. It’s my great escape from the troubles of this world if only for a moment. Is it easy? Absolutely not, but is it worth it? My answer is and always will be yes.

What should our readers know about your business?
Who is ThriftGift for? Everyone! I want to show my audience that they’re style options in the thrift store are not “limited” because of your height, weight, size, etc. Second hand fashion is for everybody. ThriftGift strives to show all the endless possibilities in the world of second hand fashion.

What sets ThriftGift apart is the intentionality behind the thrifting. Everything I thrift has a purpose and is used to create looks that are magical, unique, and sustainable. This will be reflected in my upcoming 2021 Spring/Summer Collection (dropping soon) and the other collections that will follow. There’s a little bit of everything in these collections. Some things are upcycled, repurposed, vintage fashion, current fashion. It’s a nice melting pot of second hand style and I’m excited to share it with my followers.

Why did I start ThriftGift? Two reasons: Sustainability and Passion for Fashion. In terms of sustainability, I want to do my part in saving the planet and reducing unnecessary waste. I do this by purchasing second hand, repurposing clothing already in my closet, and giving clothes a second life. My second reason, passion for fashion, may sound cliché, but the ability to express myself in the form of fashion is a major part of who I am. With thrifting, mu creativity knows no bounds. I can rock runway fashion my way without going over $20. I can upcycle garments I find and make them into something totally new. There are no rules, I just do me and I want to inspire people that they can do the same. I just want to share the same gift that thrifting has given to me.

ThriftGift is most definitely a growing business. I remember starting ThriftGift in 2020 not knowing what to do, what to expect. I just figured I’d do the research, find the magic formula, and voila success would be here before I knew it. That was definitely not the case, but every day is a step forward in the right direction. The key to my growth: staying true to Erica and showing my audience who Erica is. For the longest time I was afraid to show “the real me”. This idea of being polished and pretty all the time is not me, but cutting loose, showing my silly side, while turning looks for the fraction of the cost, now THAT was me. And the lesson I learned was that THAT is what the people wanted to see and ThriftGift grew and continues to grow every day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It’s been such a long time since I’ve even stepped out into my city, Richmond VA. But this summer, that’s about to change.

They can always hang out with me at 360ism studios for a ThriftGift photo shoot cause ThriftGift family puts in works, but we have fun doing it!

A few other items on my itinerary…

Casa Fiesta Mexican Kitchen & Cantina – Best margarita I’ve had in a loooong time and the white cheese dip is so good.

Riding around the city on a tuk tuk with RVA Tuk Tuk

Cocktails and Choreo at Studio 4 Dance Center

Carytown is a fun place to hang out, eat, walk and shop during the day

An After Hours concert and Meadow Event Park (which used to be Innsbrook After Hours). That’s a really good time with good friends! I’ve seen TLC, Nelly, and hopefully Ludacris this year!

Sunday Brunch on the Plaza smack dab in the middle of the city with a gorgeous view (sponsored by UnlockingRVA)

And of course we have to hit up the local RVA thrift stores throughout the week!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There’s quite a few people I would like to shout out.

My husband who has supported me from Day One. He’s been my photographer, he’s been my handy man setting up clothing racks as I organized inventory lol, he’s taken whole days to watch our son while I was out shooting content and thrifting. He’s been a huge help in the building of ThriftGift.

My very best friend and owner of Adorned Waists, Donna. She keeps me motivated on the daily. She always offers encouraging words, commenting under my posts, hyping me up, and making sure I don’t lose sight of the goal.

My childhood best friend, Cabby. She gets all the “does this look ok? how does this sound? what do you think?” texts related to my business. And she always keeps it one hunned with me. She is also my rock.

A few influencers I want to shout out who inspire me in this reselling/thrifting game, Iesha of @thriftntell ; Shay of @goodgirlsthrift ; Brandy of @damnthatscoacoa ; Carmen of @secondhandshawty ; Lakeitha of @washingtonave

And shout out to all the whole thrift community on social media. The love and support they show is so real. And the bonds of thrift sisterhood with women like Tiffany of @creatiffexpressions ; Meaghan of @napturallymeg ; Erica of @storybehindthelook ; Tey of @thrifteyandthecity ; Latrice of @piecesofposh ; and so many more (Ya’ll know who you are!) is truly amazing. I can’t wait to meet ya’ll in real life lol.

And all my friends who shopped my closet (and my suitcase) for those college parties back in the day cause they knew I always had something good to wear lol. Thank you too!

Instagram: thriftgiftgal

Facebook: thriftgiftgal

Other: TikTok & Pinterest: thriftgiftgal

Image Credits
Jasmine Brown Vibrant Lenses, LLC (@vibrantlensesllc)