Mayah’s flea was new, and some vendors weren’t yet ready to make the jump from established fleas with guaranteed foot traffic. But a friend, Kene O., advised her to “go bigger.” Vendor outreach was touch and go. She realized that the important thing was to be “surrounded by people who are trying to better not only themselves but their friends and strangers.” That meant starting a flea of her own. “I was like, ‘Where can I feel like I’m safe and surrounded by people I identify with?’ she remembers thinking. She sensed that her presence wasn’t welcomed by others. The rules - like lowering her music - felt punitive and ridiculous. One of the few Black vendors, she was placed toward a front entrance. When she started working as a vendor at a flea market across town, she felt both ostracized and tokenized. Mayah started a small thrift shop out of her love for 2000s fashion. Vibe Guide: Luna Lovebad curates the perfect week Luna Lovebad is the muse of L.A.’s fashion scene. Ebonee Davis, Smino, Blue the Great and Nez also have visited the market. He even performed a 45-minute set with unreleased and older songs. (He popped up at the second installment and became a fan of Just Luv Creamery.) Theophilus London, impressed by Mayah’s work, started selling merch from his record label. DJs play tunes from artists like Isaiah Rashad, who himself is a patron. Take the musicians who frequent the Black Market Flea, for example. I honestly believe in all these people they are here for a reason.” “I created this so it can be a starting point for a lot of people, not so that they could be stagnant here,” Mayah says.
![black market black market](https://brewminate.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/120717-118-Olympics-Greece-History-191x300.jpg)
Already it’s become a kind of connective tissue for Black-owned fashion in the city. The first Black Market Flea took place in June. fashion lives here - from handmade and upcycled clothing brands to curated vintage lewks. The Black Market Flea is a monthly flea market filled with clothing lines and handmade goods created, crafted and designed by Black people.
![black market black market](https://i2.wp.com/spokesman-recorder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/bbib-3-scaled.jpg)
“I wanted it to feel warm and cool and inviting. Mayah keeps a watchful eye over the entire space, almost like a matriarch. “I wanted it to feel like a family reunion,” she tells me. This is what Mayah Hatcher, the 23-year-old founder, has cultivated. The subtle scent of sweet incense wafts through the open air.
![black market black market](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gUtOvbdM2Mo/maxresdefault.jpg)
But so is that security guard who looks like What’s His Name’s uncle. That girl you follow on Instagram for her impeccable style is standing to your right looking at vinyls. Just gentle hellos, broad smiles, warm eyes, big laughs. Not much haggling or bargaining transpires. The vibe is in the details: Dad caps and fitted hats worn proudly with thigh shorts and sneakers a collage of geometric eyeshadow shapes, long pink tails, patterned bell bottoms, chunky sandals, thick-frame sunglasses the small dog’s fit that matches its eccentric owner. streetwear brands, artists, healers, it’s a showcase of love. In this issue, we pay tribute to the people and brands pushing fashion culture in the city forward.īlack Market Flea is something to be felt. This is part of Image Issue 4, “Image Makers,” a paean to L.A.’s luminaries of style.