Linda Ovadia and Gianluca Iovine were collectors with nowhere to sell their pieces so they founded East Market: the first place where vintage stores and hobbyist can sell their antiquities
A Milanese concept: East Market
It was November 2014 when Linda Ovadia and Gianluca Iovine decided to join forces and create a vision for the secondhand market in Milan – East Market. At the time, Mrs. Ovadia worked in the fashion field, primarily in a showroom, but she also founded her own sunglasses brand. When she met Mr. Iovine, a former press officer, they discovered a common passion and problem. Both were collectors of fashion pieces but didn’t have many wardrobe spaces to expand their collections and nowhere to sell them.
From this premise, they created a space in Milan where private lovers of vintage could set up their stand and sell their objects. Although they wanted more than a market, they envisioned a place where people could come together to share their passion and discover the second-hand market. In addition to shopping, attendees can listen to music and eat at the event. They want to unite people in a fun, democratic environment.
Inside East Market: abandoned industrial sites
Buyers can find any sort of secondhand object inside the stands, ranging from vintage, collectibles, modern, used generic, fleas, designs, and crafts. On the whole, the most frequent objects are clothes, accessories, vinyl, furniture, books, and comics, and they never lack oddities and objects of reuse. There is only one requirement for the vendors to present their applications before the event. In fact, Mr. Ovadia and Mr. Iovine seek excellence and require professionalism in the people who collaborate with East Market. Indeed they are the two people in charge of the selection, and they always ensure that each piece for sale is in good condition and value.
Within the years, they have moved from the original space, The Lambretto Studio, Via Cletto Arrighi in Milano, to a much wider space in Via Mecenate. They both involve abandoned industrial sites that have been given new life through the intervention of Mrs. Ovadia and Mr. Iovine. Therefore, they never have to touch the structure or aesthetics to preserve these places’ heritage. Instead, they have intervened only with some security work to make them accessible locations.
The Milan vintage community
Eight years ago, when East Market debuted, there wasn’t an online platform dedicated to the second-hand market, and only a few stores sold vintage items. This is why many people were not used to evaluating the market, which was still largely unexplored. When the first editions were launched, they were flooded with people curious about the new project.
As time went on, the audience continued to expand, succeeding in catching all age groups and also managing to satisfy everyone’s tastes. To witness this increase, the company collected data: in total, more than one million people have attended the editions of East Market, with over six thousand exhibitors. Usually, the community is divided as follows: Antique dealers are the first ones to arrive at the opening to capture the best pieces, followed around lunchtime by families and greeted in the evening by young people who perceive East Market as a point of reference and encounters.
The mission: sensitize to vintage
Few people were interested in the vintage market when East Market first opened its door. In the Italian scene, there wasn’t an appropriate education on the second-hand market, especially when comparing it with nearby markets. Therefore, Mrs. Ovadia and Mr. Iovine added to their mission the education of its audience to vintage.
Currently, the fashion market is one of the most polluting markets. Innovations and regulations have been implemented to reduce its environmental impact, but none have been effective so far. Although second-hand markets are an effective alternative to this problem. Nothing is invented in the vintage market, but it allows you to find good quality products that will satisfy both the needs of new generations and the most varied styles.
East Market encourages its new customers to try and explore the vintage market whilst they won’t expect them to make any purchases. In fact, they want people to discover the different realities and the carousel of products available, bringing them to the awareness that each piece they buy will be later a potential object that could be sold on a stand in their events.
Expanding the mission of East Market
Over the years, East Market has made a name for itself abroad. As a result, more tourists have decided to visit the city of Milan over the weekend to be able to attend one of the editions of the market. However, some have missed the appointments since the events occur on a singular Sunday every month.
Eventually, the founders decided to expand their business to new physical stores around Milan open throughout the week. The first one to open is East Market Shop. The new physical storehouse preserves the heritage of the original event but with a permanent selection of vintage objects on sale, allowing people to experience the atmosphere of East Market all year.
Later, another opportunity arose for Mrs. Ovadia and Mr. Iovine. This year the historical Milan store Lo Specchio di Alice was about to close since its owner was going to retire. It was one of the first and more supplied vintage stores in Italy. The owner of East Market decided to take over the business and its archive to continue its tradition and bring on its story.
The future of the vintage market
Second-hand markets have seen in Italy an exponential growth in the last year. In fact, during 2022, we have witnessed an increase of 37%. These numbers show that people nowadays are more interested in finding solutions to replace fast fashion consumerism. It also revolves around preserving antiquities while learning how to valorize each object.
Undoubtedly, this segment will become ever stronger and an integral part of our lives. This is proven by the younger generations discovering this world for the first time but appreciating it more for its lower environmental impact. In fact, Mrs. Ovadia confidently states that this is the beginning of a world that has only to gain and will not devalue in the near future.
East Market Milano
East Market was founded by Lindia Ovadia and Gianluca Iovine in Milan in 2014, in Via Mecenate 88/A. It’s the first marketplace where everyone can sell their vintage pieces, from shops to hobbyists. Customers can find more than the stands, like music, kiosks, restaurants, or places to rest and meet new people. Every edition of East Market takes place once a month on a Sunday, while the other two stores in Milan, Lo Specchio di Alice and East Market Shop, are always open during the week. The next East Market editions will take place on January 22nd and February 19th, 2023.
