In an age where trendsetters dictate the direction of fashion, Season Pass stays true to its core of being its own ruler when it comes to style. Through Lean Torres, Season Pass’ co-owner, we had the chance to take a closer look into the streetwear community built by Season Pass’ business of buying, selling, and trading. Through his eyes, we got to know how their brand refuses to be enslaved by the rise and fall of trends and instead carve their own through the economy it’s built.
Predominantly famous for their large black, white, and colored tees, the store builds its community by making sure it welcomes people from different sorts of culture and style — being able to create an authentic vibe for its members without intimidating the newcomers. “We never settled for just being a store. We organized panel talks back in the day, made Tekken tournaments, made a monthly event that focuses on giving sellers the opportunity to reach new customers. I guess that resonated with a lot of people that contributed to us having a small community,” Lean described how they were able to cultivate a genuine and supportive community.
Photos from Season Pass
It all started when Lean and his team saw the opportunity in providing an avenue for people to sell their pre-loved items. The next thing they knew, Season Pass already acts as a way for people who want to let some of their items go find new homes without going through the hassle of finding buyers, shipping, and doing personal inventory.
Beyond buying and selling, the store also trades. Their usual process for trading is a client brings an item to be screened by the Season Pass team for authenticity and legitimacy. They will then determine its trading value/price based on condition. Once values are settled, customers can now browse around the inventory of trades. You can visit official site to know more.
“Season Pass trades with anyone who passes by the store or offers items through social media.” The store usually buys from thrift stores, too, and specific suppliers, but due to the implications of the pandemic the team has decided to buy, sell, and trade online for now — recently welcoming vintage items into its collection.
Lean Torres, Co-Owner of Season Pass
When asked about the flourishing love for vintage, Lean explained, “It’s fun for me. It’s always a treat seeing the same shows, bands, cartoons, movies, and many more, but with different interpretations on t-shirts.” Moreover, Lean expressed his fascination with the community of vintage enthusiasts. “Vintage is not mindless consumerism. People buy what they can connect to. It is appreciation at its highest form — from the quality of the fabric, the texture of the print, the perfect fade of the shirt, the cracks on the print and pinholes — everything builds character for one piece, every defect or character a shirt has depends on what scene you are on.”
Photo from the Season Pass Community Sale
If there’s one thing that Lean loves most about reselling streetwear, it’s the fact that customers, more often than not, already know what they want. Season Pass is adored by the community because of its authenticity. “We do not try to be different for the sake of being different. We base off everything through our own interest, personality, and hobbies,” Lean described their selection process when it comes to trading with pride. The store does not exist to please customers. Season Pass puts its own identity at its core, prioritizing authenticity over following marketing formulas that would easily increase sales.
It is such a tough time for most brands right now, but Season Pass is adapting through migrating their efforts into their online presence. Ever since the start of the quarantine, Season Pass has been beefing up its website and making sure the brand stays connected with its community through social media. The team behind the store is using this time to prepare and plan for their next community sale, regularly brainstorming on how they can execute the sale better, and occasionally buying items from other sellers as a way of continuing to support the community. Through its ecosystem of buying, selling, and trading streetwear and vintage items, Season Pass will continue to adapt and inspire its community that is built on authenticity and genuine connections.
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