“Stranger Things” Star Priah Ferguson & ThredUp Launch Hotline Encouraging Sustainable Shopping Among Gen Z

The resale company launched a confessional hotline to help educate and inspire Gen Zers to cut back on fast fashion shopping habits.
“Stranger Things” Star Priah Ferguson  ThredUp Launch Hotline Encouraging Sustainable Shopping Among Gen Z
Courtesy of Brand

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Back-to-school season is here and you know what that means. It's time to get your dorm room essentialsschool suppliesbackpacks, and, of course, clothing ready to help you kick off the new school year feeling and looking fresh

However, though we know how tempting it can be with all the back-to-school sales, when it comes to shopping for the perfect back-to-school outfit, you don't always need to get rid of everything in your closet — and Stranger Things star Priah Ferguson is here to remind you.

Priah has teamed up with secondhand retail platform ThredUp to help encourage Gen Zers to quit shopping fast fashion for good. “When ThredUp told me that one in three Gen Z feels addicted to fast fashion, I felt inspired and thought, “dang, I’ve been there!” I felt inspired to take a break from fast fashion myself and help others do the same,” the Stranger Things star shared. 

ThredUp recently published its 2022 resale report, which surveyed 1,989 American Gen Zers aged 16–25. The results not only showed that one in three Gen Zers feel like they are "addicted to fast fashion." Additionally, 35% of college students say they spend too much time and money on fast fashion, and 45% say it is hard to resist the temptation that fast fashion offers. 

However, results also revealed that younger shoppers are aware of their shopping habits and want to support more sustainable, ethical brands. “Gen Z has shown the world that they care about the planet more than any other generation, yet they are inundated with shopping choices that make it easier than ever to mindlessly consume. This presents a unique challenge for Gen Z,” said Neil Saunders, managing director for GlobalData Retail, in a statement. 

The good news is fast fashion is not the only option when it comes to shopping for affordable and trendy clothing. Instead, you can turn to thrifting, which can also help you save money while practicing sustainable shopping. According to the survey, Gen Z shoppers plan to buy an average of 12 new items for the school year. If they chose to thrift those pieces instead, it would save 10B LBS of CO2e, the equivalent of 116 million trees.

ThredUp has been on a mission to inspire younger consumers to shop secondhand items first for a while. The company has been taking action by making it easy to buy and sell secondhand items. “At ThredUp, we’re committed to inspiring a new generation of consumers to think secondhand first. That's why we're thrilled to partner with Priah. Together, we set out to make it easier than ever for shoppers to kick the fast fashion habit and embrace a healthier way to shop,” said Erin Wallace, VP of Integrated Marketing at ThredUp.

If you're looking to learn more about the negative effects of fast fashion, or you just want to confess your fast fashion habits, you can now call the Fast Fashion Confessional Hotline (1-855-THREDUP) to hear directly from Priah why you should give up fast fashion for good. 

Courtesy of Brand 

Once you dial the hotline, you'll be able to hear Priah's own shopping confession. At the end of the pre-recorded script, you can leave your own voicemail.

But that's not all. In addition to the hotline, Priah has also selected her favorite items on ThredUp and created a variety of cute back-to-school looks that thrifters can use as inspiration to shop similar styles and save up to 90% off the retail value on the site. No matter if your style is more laid-back, preppy, or chic, there's an option for you! 

You can also build out an entire outfit, choosing different pieces from ThredUp's curated selection based on each specific look created by Priah. “I had so much fun putting these back-to-school looks together with thrifted pieces from ThredUp. My favorite one is probably the pink blazer look, because I loved the fun pop of color mixed with the collegiate vibe of the jacket,” the Stranger Things star shared. “My go-to first-day look would probably be similar to the red ball cap, hoodie, and checkered skirt look paired with a dope sneaker. I love a casual outfit that I can feel comfortable in while still feeling put together at school.”

With the new school year just around the corner, now is the perfect time to switch up your shopping habits for the better — especially when both your pockets and the planet will benefit from it!

Shop Priah's thrifted looks below and check out more of her favorite back-to-school styles on the ThredUp website.

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Priah Ferguson