The fatal blaze rocked Guatemala and highlighted widespread abuse in the government’s shelter system.
A Guatemalan court has convicted six people in connection with the deaths of 41 girls at a state-funded youth shelter in 2017.
On Tuesday, Judge Ingrid Cifuentes gave the former officials, who had all pleaded not guilty, sentences of between six and 25 years for charges ranging from abuse of authority to manslaughter.
Two of the people convicted were ex-police officers, while the other four were ex-child protection officials.
Prosecutors had sought sentences of up to 131 years for some of those on trial.
The judge said she did not have the jurisdiction to make a ruling against a seventh defendant, who used to be the children’s prosecutor at the attorney general’s office.
As well as handing down the prison terms, Cifuentes also ordered an investigation into former President Jimmy Morales, who was Guatemala’s leader at the time of the blaze.
Emily del Cid Linares, 25, a survivor of the fire who suffered burns, said she was satisfied with the verdict.
“I feel like a weight has been lifted from me,” she said. “What I most feel is that they [the victims] will be able to rest in peace. [Those responsible] are going to pay for what they did.”
The tragedy at the Virgen de la Asuncion youth shelter, which is located 22km (14 miles) east of the capital, Guatemala City, shook the country and went on to highlight the widespread abuse in the government’s shelter system.
The fire broke out on March 8, 2017, a year after the home, which housed hundreds more children than its legal capacity, was ordered to close by a court.
The blaze started in a classroom in which 56 girls had been locked after their attempt to escape the shelter the previous day. After being brought back to the site by the police, they were shut in a room with no access to a toilet.
Witnesses said that one of the girls set fire to their foam mattresses to protest against their treatment at the home, which is alleged to have included sexual abuse.
Nineteen girls died on March 8 from their injuries, with a further 22 later succumbing to their injuries. The fire also severely injured 15 others.
MEL B has shared the first look at her second wedding in Morocco.
The star – aka Scary Spice – tied the knot with hairdresser Rory McPhee, 37, at St Paul’s Cathedral inLondon on July 5 in a star-studded ceremony.
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The couple first tied the knot on July 5 at a ceremony in LondonCredit: Instagram
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It was reported the second wedding would give the absent Spice Girls the chance to reuniteCredit: Getty
However, the only other Spice Girl in attendance on her big day was Emma ‘Baby Spice’ Bunton.
It was previously reported that Mel’s second wedding in Morocco – which she described as “more informal, sexy and beautiful” – would give the other Spice Girls the opportunity to reunite and celebrate their band mates nuptials.
Now Mel, 50, has shared the first snap from her second big day, where she stunned in a strapless sheer gown covered in red beading.
Meanwhile Rory looked dapper in a short white tuxedo jacket, black trousers and bow tie.
The newlyweds beamed and danced in the snap in front of their Moroccan venue, and Mel caption the snap: “We got married!!! Again!
“A wedding so good we keep the celebration going with our closest and dearest in our fav place at @selmanmarrakech [three heart emojis] we had the time of our lives!!”
And it seems Mel C, who had missed the London ceremony, was in attendance as she commented: “What a weekend! So happy we got to share it with you [three heart emojis].”
Mel’s sister Danielle also shared pictures on her Instagram Stories of the celebrations.
Mel B stuns in white gown at star-studded St Paul’s Cathedral wedding
Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp perched on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Texas, was a place of laughter, prayer and adventure just days ago.
Among the girls at the camp was eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla, smiling ear-to-ear in a picture taken on one of those days – “having the time of her life” with her friends.
But the next day, the camp she and so many other young girls loved turned into the site of one of the deadliest flood disasters in recent Texas history.
Renee was among those killed.
“She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic,” her uncle Shawn Salta wrote on Facebook.
Photos show the eerie aftermath: the bunk beds mud-caked and toppled, the detritus of a summer camp cut tragically short.
Destroyed personal belongings are scattered across soaked interiors where children once gathered for Bible study and campfire songs.
Eleven of its campers and one camp counsellor are missing. Many of the unaccounted-for girls were reportedly sleeping in low-lying cabins less than 500ft (150m) from the riverbank.
On Sunday, the rain was pouring down as the BBC reached Camp Mystic.
The entrance was cordoned off by police and the rubble of what might have been some kind of gatehouse was strewn across the ground.
More rain is forecast, which will make the rescue effort even harder.
Three days after the deluge, hope is fading and this is rapidly becoming a recovery exercise more than a rescue mission.
Getty Images
Camp Mystic has been operated by the same family for generations, offering girls a chance to grow “spiritually” in a “wholesome” Christian atmosphere, according to its website.
Families from all across Texas and the US send their daughters each summer to swim, canoe, ride horses and form lifelong friendships.
But the beauty of the Guadalupe River, which draws so many to the area, also proved deadly.
The floodwaters arrived with little warning, ripping through the picturesque riverfront area that is home to nearly 20 youth camps.
Though Camp Mystic suffered the greatest losses, officials say the scale of the disaster is far-reaching.
Nearby, the all-girls camp Heart O’ the Hills also faced flooding.
Its co-owner and director, Jane Ragsdale, was among the dead. Fortunately, the camp was out of session at the time.
A statement from the camp said, “Most of those who were on camp at the time have been accounted for and are on high ground… We are mourning the loss of a woman who influenced countless lives and was the definition of strong and powerful.”
An unknown number of other campers were in the area for the holiday weekend.
Getty Images
Questions are mounting over why so many camps were situated so close to the river, and why more was not done to evacuate the children in time.
Congressman Chip Roy, who represents the area, acknowledged the devastation while urging caution against premature blame.
“The response is going to be, ‘We’ve gotta move all these camps – why would you have camps down here by the water?'” Roy said.
“Well, you have camps by the water because it’s by the water. You have camps near the river because it’s a beautiful and wonderful place to be.”
Families of the missing meanwhile face an agonising wait for news. Search and rescue teams – some navigating by boat, others combing through debris – are working round the clock.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said on Sunday the search for survivors continued.
“Until we can get them reunited families, we are not going to stop,” City Manager Dalton Rice said.
Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of emergency, and officials warn the final toll may rise in the days to come.
Following the success of Louis Theroux’s series called Boybands Forever, the journalist is planning a girl group version, but one iconic group has reportedly shunned his approach
Louis Theroux is planning a new documentary(Image: officiallouistheroux/Instagram)
Louis Theroux is used to interviewing the best in the business. However, one band has reportedly shunned his advances to tell their story.
The popular journalist is creating a new bombshell BBC documentary on girlbands following on from last year’s successful production of Boybands Forever. It’s thought Louis had seen the iconic band as being instrumental in any production.
However, a TV insider has claimed that the quintet – made up of Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Melanie C, Melanie Brown MBE and Geri Horner – aren’t prepared to bare all just yet.
While last year’s boyband version saw Robbie Williams open up on his turbulent time in Take That, the source says the Girl Power group aren’t looking to follow suit.
The Spice Girls are reported to have rejected Louis’ approach(Image: Getty Images)
Talking to the Sun, a source said: “The difference is that the Spice Girls are fast approaching 30 years since the release of their debut single Wannabe and have a string of projects in the pipeline.
“Many of the issues that Robbie brought up on Boybands Forever were wholly justifiable, and most viewers sympathised with his situation when he was in Take That.
“But none of the Spice Girls want to do the same, and they feel it wouldn’t be fair on their loyal fans to spoil the magic of Girl Power so close to their anniversary year. They want 2026 to be a moment when they celebrate the group’s achievements.”
Robbie Williams opened up on Boybands Forever(Image: BBC/Mindhouse Productions/Harry Truman)
While the Spice Girls are reportedly steering clear of the offering, other groups from the era are expected to feature. With it thought chats will be conducted face to face, members of groups such as Eternal, Atomic Kitten, Girls Aloud, Sugababes and All Saints are rumoured to be taking part.
Boybands Forever, which was released at the back end of last year, was a series that focused on boybands of the 90s and early 2000s. Among those who featured, as well as Robbie Williams, was Simon Cowell.
Brian McFadden also featured on Boybands Forever(Image: BBC/Youtube)
Prior to its release, Louis said of the series: “It involves some of the icons of modern British pop – and we see them through their highs and lows.” He added: “It’s how they came together, the experience of sudden fame, the opportunity and temptations that came their way, conflicts within the groups, between the groups, and between the boys and their managers.
“It’s a gripping fable about getting everything you dreamed of, and it not being what you imagined, centred on a generation of young men, and their managers, who were wildly successful and also immensely vulnerable, having the times of their lives and also in some cases cracking up.”
In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states couldn’t outlaw interracial marriages.
In 1971, Tricia Nixon, daughter of U.S. President Richard Nixon, married Edward Finch Cox in the first wedding in the Rose Garden of the White House. The event featured a 7-foot-tall, 350-pound lemon wedding cake.
In 1974, after 35 years of existence, the Little League organization asked Congress to change the wording of its charter to allow girls to play on teams. A decade later, Belgian outfielder Victoria Roche became the first girl to play on the championship roster of the Little League Baseball World Series.
In 1979, Bryan Allen, 26, pedaled the 70-pound Gossamer Albatross 22 miles on the first human-powered flight across the English Channel.
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan asked Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.”
UPI File Photo
In 1991, Boris Yeltsin became the first freely elected Russian president. Yeltsin, a key figure in the demise of the Soviet Union, was president until his resignation in 1999.
In 2010, Abby Sunderland, a 16-year-old California girl trying to sail solo around the world, was rescued by a French fishing vessel after her boat lost its mast in rough weather in the Indian Ocean.
In 2012, Ron Barber, former aide to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who was seriously wounded in a shooting rampage, won a special election to replace her. Six people were killed and a dozen others, including Barber, were wounded in the Jan. 8, 2011, attack by Jared Lee Loughner.
In 2014, former President George H.W. Bush parachuted from a helicopter near his summer home at Kennebunkport, Maine, on his 90th birthday. Bush jumped in tandem with Mike Elliott, a retired member of the Army’s Golden Knights parachute team.
File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI
In 2016, gunman Omar Mateen killed 50 people in a mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. It was the deadliest attack on the American LGBTQ community in U.S. history and the shooter pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
In 2018, President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took part in a summit in Singapore to discuss denuclearization on the Korean peninsula.
In 2020, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation banning police from using chokeholds on citizens and making race-based false police reports a crime.
In 2022, MJ, Company, Take Me Out and A Strange Loop each won multiple statues at the Tony Awards, which were held for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
LOUISE Redknapp wowed fans as she posed in a bikini top on her girls’ holiday to New York.
The 50-year-old star shared a snap of herself enjoying the sunny weather in the Big Apple.
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Louise Redknapp looked stunning in holiday snaps from New YorkCredit: Instagram
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Her and a pal stripped off in the Big AppleCredit: Instagram
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Louise posted photos from her rooftop poolCredit: Instagram
Throwing her hands in the air, Louise flaunted her toned figure in the top and low cut shorts.
She captioned her shots: “A little girls trip with Sue.”
Fans were quick to comment on her holiday snaps, with one saying: “Wow u look incredible”.
Another said: “Still stunning after all these years!”
Louise found love again almost two years ago with boyfriend Drew, 41.
Since then, they’ve appeared inseparable, often enjoying music events and spending their summers attending festivals, including Glastonbury and Boardmasters.
If Louise hasn’t been going to festivals, she’s been performing at them, with the singer launching a comeback with her Greatest Hits celebrating her career to date.
The Strictly winner was with ex Jamie Redknapp for 20 years and they share two sons.
“What’s great is (Drew) is brilliant on a friendship level with the boys,” she told The Sun last month.
Louise Redknapp says she felt ‘the lowest a human could get’ when she split from husband Jamie and ‘almost gave up’
“They get on great with him. And that, for me, is super-important. There’s just a real mutual respect there. Obviously Beau is still at school, but we spend a lot of time together.”
The nine-year age gap inevitably led to Drew being described as her “toyboy” and Louise being referred to as a “cougar”.
But it’s “water off a duck’s back,” she added.
“For me, age is irrelevant – within reason – but he’s not 22. I think it’s more about the person and the life experiences and the connection that’s important.”
However, Louise isn’t thinking about walking down the aisle a second time.
“Oh, I’m not even thinking that far ahead. I’m not even going there. Manifesting is a real hint to Drew.
“I’m not going to lie and say it isn’t. But it’s also a life lesson to be present in the here and now, so I’m not thinking down the line. I’m enjoying my relationship, my kids, my album and my life.”
After their split her ex Jamie went on to marry model Frida Andersson in 2021.
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Louise with boyfriend DrewCredit: Instagram
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Louise with sons Charley, 20, and Beau, 16Credit: Instagram
LAYING “snog, marry, avoid” with colleagues at work could be sexual harassment, a tribunal has ruled.
The “crass” and “inappropriate” game may breach the Equality Act, an Employment judge said.
The risqué quiz involves naming three people and then asking a person to pick which one you would like to kiss, which one you would get married to and which one you would steer clear of altogether.
In the BBC hit comedyGavin and Stacey, Pam, Mick, Gavin and Smithy played a version of it featuring celebrities during a car ride from Essex to Wales.
However, the tribunal found it may break workplace laws.
The ruling came in the case of a police officer who sued Derbyshire Police after a female colleague involved him in the game — using mugshots of sex workers.
The officer candidly admitted to the tribunal that she had “jokingly” played the game with co-workers and included PC Shafarat Mohammed in their discussion.
PC Mohammed claimed that during the discussion in May or June 2022 he was only shown images of black women and was asked what he liked about one of them.
He said he was “embarrassed” and “offended” by the questioning and felt it was inappropriate.
The tribunal judge said: “We agree that the questions were inappropriate.”
However, the tribunal found there was no racial or religious element to it as the sex workers were of varying ethnicities.
PC Mohammed lost his case for racial and religious discrimination and harassment.
Two top cops accused of mocking a colleague’s Irish accent in ‘grossly offensive’ leaving video
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A cop sued Derbyshire Police after a female colleague dragged him into a game of ‘snog, marry, avoid’ using sex worker mugshots (stock picture)Credit: Getty
Local media reports say the small vessel appeared to be packed with more than 100 people.
Four women and three girls have died when a small boat carrying dozens of refugees and migrants capsized while approaching the port at one of Spain’s Canary Islands, according to Spanish emergency services.
Local media reports said the small vessel seemed to be packed on Wednesday with more than 100 people. Spanish rescuers and members of the Red Cross pulled people out of the water.
Red Cross spokesman Alexis Ramos told broadcaster RTVE there could be “more than 100 people” on the boat but he was unable to provide a figure for the number of those missing.
Spain’s maritime rescue service said the boat tipped over as rescuers began removing minors after it had arrived at a dock on the island of El Hierro. The service had initially located the boat about 10km (6 miles) from shore.
The sudden movement of people on the boat caused it to tip and then turn over, dumping the occupants into the water, the service said.
Canary Islands emergency services said four women, a teenage girl and two younger girls died in the accident. A helicopter evacuated two more children, a girl and a boy, to a local hospital in critical condition after they nearly drowned, the service added.
The Spanish archipelago located off Africa’s western coast has for years been a main route for refugees and migrants who risk their lives in dinghies and rubber boats unfit for long journeys in the open sea.
Thousands have died on the way to European territory on a treacherous journey from Africa over the Atlantic Ocean.
Nearly 47,000 people who made the crossing last year reached the Canary Islands. Most were citizens of Mali, Senegal and Morocco with many boarding boats to Spain from the coast of Mauritania.
The arrivals include thousands of unaccompanied children.
The Spice Girls’ Netflix biopic is reportedly back on track – with the streamer signing a huge name to write the script
Netflix’s Spice Girls drama ‘back on track’
Spice Girls fans will be over the moon to hear that the band’s Netflix biopic is back on track, according to reports. Not only that, the streamer has reportedly signed a huge comedian to write the plot.
Last year, it was reported that The Spice Girls were set to be the subject of a tell-all TV drama whether they are involved or not. It was revealed that a biopic was going to be made to mark 30 years since the release of their hit Wannabe. It’s expected to air sometime next year.
At the time, a source told the Sun: “Executives are keen to have all the group on board providing as much input as possible – after all they are pop royalty. But Netflix are the organisation who defied the wishes of real royalty and went ahead and made The Crown, so they aren’t afraid to go it alone when they have to.”
However, it was reported that things could be put on hold due to alleged rifts in the band. Now, it looks like the streamer has been granted the green light once again, with Channel 4 comedian Jack Rooke on script writing duties.
Netflix’s Spice Girls drama is reportedly back on track(Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
“Bagging Jack is a real coup for the project and might be the crucial element that drives the drama forward after its rocky start,” a source told the Sun.
The source then went on to say that Jack already has a great relationship with Mel C, as she’s a huge fan of his show Big Boys.
“Of course, Netflix has yet to confirm it has commissioned the show and there’s still a lot to play for. But there now seems to be a genuine will to make things happen,” the source continued.
The Spice Girls were together from 1994 – 2001(Image: Getty Images)
The girl group exploded onto the music scene in 1996 and went on to be one of the most successful British bands in the world. Geri Halliwell, 51, Victoria Beckham, 50, Mel B, 49, Mel C, 50, and Emma Bunton, 48, had worldwide success and went on to release two albums before Ginger Spice sensationally quit.
It isn’t the band’s first tie to the streaming service. In 2022, Emma and Mel B took part in The Circle USA where they were seen catfishing the other contestants pretending to be a man named Jared.
The duo admitted they are “massive fans” of the reality show, with Mel adding: “So when they asked us [to appear], no brainer.”
Spice Girl’s Mel B is set to marry her soon-to-be husband Rory McPhee, at the historic London landmark three years after their engagement, but fans are wondering how they landed the swanky booking
Mel B will be having a wedding fit for a princess, at the same venue as the royals (Image: officialmelb/Instagram )
Melanie Brown, better known as Mel B, is head over heels for her soon-to-be husband as they plan to tie the knot at none other than St Paul’s Cathedral in the centre of London. The America’s Got Talent judge has already revealed some insight into her wedding planning, and she confirmed on TODAY that they will be exchanging vows at the iconic cathedral.
It’s the same spot that the late Princess Diana and Prince Charles’s royal wedding took place, back in 1981. While many people dream of hosting a wedding at the sought-after spot, Mel B revealed the VIP treatment that allowed her to secure the gig.
She explained that it’s thanks to her MBE title (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) that she can be wed in the historic building.
The couple got engaged in October 2022(Image: officialmelb/Instagram )
On TODAY, she shared: “I got an MBE for all my charity work that I’ve been doing. It was actually Prince William that gave me my little honorary badge. And it’s quite a big deal.
“I didn’t realise how much of a big deal it was until I started reading about it, and then I started getting really nervous. It was really lovely. So because of that, I am going to get married in the same church as Princess Diana.”
While the date of the wedding is unknown, it’s thought that St Paul’s only hosts a small amount of weddings each year, and so the couple is on the waiting list. Although one thing already ticked off the list is the ever-important wedding dress, which she has had designed by her fellow Spice Girls member.
Victoria Beckham will be designing both Mel B’s dress and her mother’s. The pop star revealed that it was an “honour” to receive it.
Princess Diana walked down the same isle on 29 July 1981(Image: Getty Images)
“I don’t think it would be fair to just have one [wedding dress]. Just have as many as you want — at least three, right?” she added. “One to actually get married in, which is the proper ceremony, very proper at this church, St Paul’s. And then maybe I want to change out of that.”
Her partner Rory McPhee is a hair stylist and businessman from Leeds and was a “family friend” of Mel’s way before the two started dating. It’s thought that the famous couple have been an item since 2018, but he popped the question back in 2022.
Thanks to his hairdressing skills, which Mel B grew fond of during her time spent in the UK, they were able to bond on a deeper level.
She confessed on TODAY: “So when I went back to England, he would come over and give me hair treatments and get my natural curls back. And as he was nurturing my curls back, I guess he was nurturing my trust and belief in a relationship.”
Some advice: If you love something, set it free — even the Miu Miu heels.
This was the notion that two friends, Quinn Shephard and Francesca Goncalves, were discussing in a sun-kissed setting (a “pool somewhere,” Shephard recalls). They wanted to barter their old clothing, but that was a sticky prospect in Los Angeles — the scene is riddled with suspicious stares from thrift store employees and digital cold wars with teenagers on Depop. There’s pomp and circumstance at every turn.
Kristen Vaganos and Kate Mansi help a shopper try on some shoes.
(Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times)
“So many people are like: I go to Wasteland or Crossroads and I get $3,” Shephard explains. “They’re not nice to me.”
Shephard and Goncalves wanted to start a closet sale that felt more like a fun hangout with friends. So one day last summer, Shephard and Goncalves hit the streets of Silver Lake, asking small businesses if they’d host an event that they were calling Outfit Repeater L.A. Shephard jokes that Goncalves is the “mayor of Silver Lake” — the kind of Gatsby-like woman who makes Los Angeles feel like a small town, chatting with strangers with an endearing openness. Finally, they arrived at Constellation Coffee, a contemporary, sleek coffee shop. To their surprise, the manager agreed to host Outfit Repeater L.A. that upcoming Sunday.
“She’s used to indie filmmaking, where you have to go up and ask people for things, and there’s power in that,” Goncalves says of Shephard, the director of TV shows including the Hulu drama “Under the Bridge.” Goncalves works in Stanford Medicine’s genetics department.
With their event fast approaching, Shephard and Goncalves created a blitzkrieg of advertisements across social media and posted fliers on lampposts throughout the neighborhood to drum up excitement. “We literally put up fliers until 2 am. It’s so funny because Quinn doesn’t do anything unless it’s 100%, and I’m like that too,” says Goncalves.
Clockwise from left: A shopper looks at a skirt.Seller Samantha Rose and Liv Hoffner.Outfit Repeater L.A. co-founder Francesca Goncalves talks with seller Mitch deQuilettes.(Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times)
The first Outfit Repeater L.A. event was a success, drawing a crowd of fashion enthusiasts and women who wanted to sell their beloved wardrobes directly to buyers, bypassing the intermediary of a thrift store. Women attendees eagerly inquired about selling their own clothes at the next event, offering up locations and contacts. “New coffee shops wanted to host us, and new girls wanted to sell,” Goncalves says. “It snowballed into this thing where it’s just getting bigger and bigger, completely by accident.”
Since then, Outfit Repeater L.A. has garnered a reputation as the Eastside’s hippest trading post for “it” girls, creatives and fashion trendsetters. Sellers have included independent film darlings like Geraldine Viswanathan and Francesca Reale, as well as fashion influencers with enviable style, such as Macy Eleni.
Despite its newfound fame, at its core, the closet sale is inclusive and accessible to people of all income levels. “I wanted to keep it very accessible. I charge a seller fee that’s so low, just to cover expenses. It’s not just vintage resellers or influencers that can afford to sell,” says Goncalves.
Goncalves attributes the success of the event to a hunger for social events that offer an alternative to the monotony of bar hangs. “People are tired of the bar scene,” she says.
Shephard explains that the appeal is simple: “It’s like going to a party with your friends for the day, plus you make money.”
At a recent Outfit Repeater L.A. event at Lamill Coffee in Silver Lake, actor Kate Mansi was selling her wardrobe after discovering the event through a friend’s recommendation. “I’m always selling stuff on Instagram,” Mansi says. “It’s nice to do it face to face. Clothes have a story. It’s nice to hear the story of the piece you’re inheriting.”
Kate Mansi in front of her closet rack.
(Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times)
Mansi adds, “I have a very Virgo system with my closet where I turn the hanger backwards if it’s something I haven’t worn, and if in a year, I still haven’t worn it, it must go.” On this Sunday, one of those items was a well-loved blue polka-dot romper with puff sleeves, which Mansi found at a vintage store years earlier, and she sold it for $20. Another was an All Saints trenchcoat, priced at $40, and a gray A.L.C. blouse, for $30. A classic denim Levi’s jacket found a new home for $30.
Mansi parted ways with a black dress by Jonathan Simkhai, one of her favorite designers. To the woman who bought it, Mansi wisely prescribed that she wear the dress casually with flats or boots.
At a time when fashion retail has shifted online due to the pandemic, an in-person thrifting event has been warmly received by the community. “I’m focused on each sale being a unique thing that people walk away from, having gotten a cool piece and making a few new friends and maybe a lover or boyfriend,” says Goncalves.
Alena Nemitz, who has been creating social media content for Outfit Repeater L.A., met her partner of five months at one of the events. “I was selling, and they were walking through and introduced themselves to me,” she says. “Now we’re dating, which is so cute.”
Eleni, who wrote a book on thrifting called “Second Chances,” was one of Outfit Repeater’s earliest sellers and champions. Growing up with a single mother in Dayton, Ohio, Eleni explains that she was bullied for thrifting during her childhood and is overjoyed to see a new generation embrace it. She believes some of the newfound eagerness for thrifting comes from an increased awareness of the devastating impact of fast fashion. “When I was a teenager, I wasn’t seeing videos on my phone of the inside of a Shein factory,” she says. “The curtains have been lifted, and there’s no way to claim ignorance as to where things are coming from anymore.”
Outfit Repeater L.A. has built a community of shoppers excited about clothing, Eleni explains. “Everyone is gassing each other up about how fabulous they look,” she says. “I love seeing people’s faces light up over other people’s things that they’re ready to be done with. It’s less [about] people trying to flip a profit and more people just trying to swap their clothes, share their clothes with each other.”
Goncalves describes the endearing experience of spotting items she sold from her closet on other women around Silver Lake. The world suddenly feels smaller and warmer. “I think clothes are so personal, but they are fleeting in a way,” she says. You love something and you want to pass it on, but it’s still your life and your ecosystem, even if it’s not right for you anymore.”
