Narcissist Met up with LA native Lex who turned her love for sustainable fashion into Hot Girl Market, a bi-coastal flea market that’s become the go-to destination for the fashion-forward thrifting crowd. Her curated marketplace brings together vintage finds and upcycled treasures, all while keeping affordability at its core with dedicated $5 and $10 bins (Who doesn’t love those!). Unlike traditional flea markets, Hot Girl Market makes a point to be size-inclusive, ensuring every shopper can score unique, sustainable pieces that won’t break the bank. This year, she took things next level, staging a New York Fashion Week show featuring designers who sell at her market.
What’s your name?
Ace (my social @ since middle school)
Where are you from?
SoCal
What’s your astrological sign?
Sagittarius
What do you do?
Any and everything honestly.
Why do you do it ?
Because I want to. I am so serious.
Can you tell us more about how you grew up?
Definitely. Los Angeles has such a distinct culture regarding the city itself and being Mexican American, everything was amplified coming from generations of my family living here. I would go to the Rose bowl flea market with my dad as a little girl and we would often also take the bus to Downtown LA and explore the fashion district alleys. Little things like that prompted my entrepreneurship in the fashion industry.
What inspired you to create Hot Girl Market?
I was inspired by my own vintage brand Futura fine that specialized in the y2k aesthetic with brands like juicy couture, baby phat, and apple bottoms. I wanted to create a market that attracted my desired customer base, hot girls.
Do you think hot girls get a bad rap, like everyone underestimates hot girls?
I think people underestimate women in general because of misogyny. Women are smarter then men anyways so no one is fooling anyone.
Hot Girl Market is basically a cultural reset. What void in the fashion ecosystem were you violently filling?
I agree. We provide hot girls with everything honestly. We bridge the gap between business and consumer specifically for everything sustainable in this mass produced landscape. We need to make a shift in our shopping habits.
Spill: Which underground icon or celeb left you absolutely gagged when they rolled through your market?
Grace Vanderwaal pulled up to our New York event and said she had seen our Los Angeles markets online so she had to come.
Fast-forward to 2029. How has Hot Girl Market evolved into its final form?
Ohhh I think I might have a store in NYC by then but then again who knows because i am always bouncing around. There will be more community events, collaborations, and parties to celebrate fashion, sustainability, art, and culture.
For the baby vendors thirsting to join the ranks: What’s the Holy Grail quality that screams “Hot Girl Market DNA?
Strong vintage curation or true handmade products that stand out. Materials must include love.
What’s the most unhinged item that’s become a cult buy at your market?
Sonny Angels.
How do you keep Hot Girl Market from becoming another basic bitch in the saturated events space?
I try to spice it up with themes. I’ve been doing this for so long at this point, or so it seems. Its only 2.5 years in reality. And during the fall season is the most difficult. The gap between summer and all of the 5 holidays at the end of the year. I really have to think and get creative. Partnering with sponsors helps but really it’s all about the experience they have with each vendor and their booth. I just try to pick the hottest vendors out there.
If Hot Girl Market was a lovechild of three cult films, which unholy trinity are we talking about?
Clueless, Thirteen (shout out Los Angeles) , and then Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.
How is Hot Girl Market flipping the script on fast fashion and overconsumption?
There is no excuse to shop fast fashion if there is a hot girl market near you. Well to be honest shopping fast fashion is fine, over consumption is the enemy but honestly I just make everything accessible that the internet says is not. Or I do my best too. There are all sizes and price ranges. If not there isn’t something at one event, it will be at the next since vendors always rotate.
What’s been the biggest challenge and triumphs in building your brand?
Building it was easy honestly. Maintaining and expanding is something else, that is what’s challenging is going through trial and error of just staying afloat after a while whether it be opening a new store that you have never done before or pop-ups at new locations.
What’s next for Hot Girl Market? Any exciting collaborations or expansions in the works?
We are throwing a party early December on the 7th. Stay tuned.
What advice would you give to aspiring fashion entrepreneurs?
Get experience. You cannot rush into things blindly and skip steps. Trust the process. If you put in the work, what you want will come to fruition.
Can you tell us one thing about yourself that most people don’t know about?
I have a creative agency for PR and marketing called Elevare. I keep my clientele lowkey but would love to produce a fashion show for someone’s brand.
Let’s talk about your NYFW FASHION SHOW!!!
So, NYFW. How did Hot Girl Market go from flea to fashion week?
It has been something I had wanted to produce for two years. I had the idea and the platform. I just did it.
How did you find the designers, who are they?
They applied on my website. I selected one’s that hand make their pieces in a unique way.
What was the most unhinged moment during your NYFW prep that made you think, “This is either genius or we’re doomed”?
The rehearsal was in a room 30 feet long. The actual runway was 50 feet. We made it work.
What unexpected skills from running a market came in clutch for pulling off a fashion week show?
Production skills are easily transferable but the biggest one was vendor connections. I am a sustainable market place so some of the designers actually sold at Hot Girl Market before.
Describe the moment when you realized, “Holy shit, we’re actually doing this at NYFW.”
When it hit 6:30pm and the room started filling up. It was packed so seeing the number on a screen where tickets were sold vs people irl was so cool. They’re here for my ideas, my production, my curation of designers, sponsors and vibes.
What looks stood out at the runway show?
The wedding dress from Chloe Likes Pink!
Photos Courtesy of Hot Girl Market