A Conversation with Noihsaf Bazaar's founder Kate Lindello, Part One.
From grassroots community to destination platform, inside the curatorial mind of Noihsaf Bazaar’s founder and independent fashion’s greatest champion.
As we kick off this new season of CITTOC, we will be wading into the complex waters of the fashion industry—a space where creativity and capitalism are deeply intertwined.
Our first conversation partner in this series, Kate Lindello, is the founder of the cult-favorite site Noihsaf Bazaar (NB). Noihsaf (“fashion” spelled backward) Bazaar is a resale site that began in the early days of Instagram and has since migrated to its own platform. With a focus on exclusively independent designer lines (think Ilana Kohn, Jesse Kamm, Ace & Jig, and Raquel Allegra), Kate created a space that solidified the value of apparel produced outside of mainstream fashion through its second life. Prior to her outlet, there was no resale destination dedicated exclusively to independent, slow fashion brands, save the occasional rogue listing on eBay or Etsy. Her site has since expanded to also include vintage, home goods, and children's.
Kate began the project as a balm to postpartum depression, seeking connection and community by sharing personal listings on Instagram that came directly from her own closet. The idea quickly caught on, however, and soon came to include a fresh, daily feed of secondhand items from a rapidly growing community. One remarkable feature of this project is how organically it came together on what was then a very different iteration of Instagram (circa 2013) than the one we know today—at a time before integrated product tags and in-app shopping. In those early days, when even e-commerce was a novelty, NB’s DIY approach to facilitating sales through buyer comments and PayPal invoices, supported by a grass roots community of like-minded buyers and sellers, quickly graduated from an unpaid hobby to a full-fledged business.
What makes Noihsaf Bazaar continue to stand apart in today’s far more crowded resale landscape is the creativity and conviction of its founder, whose curatorial eye and committed vision set a standard that no algorithm can compete with. The site’s continued dedication to primarily hosting independent brands—with no mass market filler and only the occasional well-made basics from more recognizable brands—also contribute to making it a peerless space in the fashion industry. For fans of sustainability, there is no more sustainable option when it comes to fashion than shopping second-hand.
I spoke with Kate over the phone, and while I was already a fan of her inherent sense of style, I was immediately struck by her warmth, humor, kindness, and the understated cool that she radiates. Whether or not you are already familiar with her work, I am incredibly excited for you to hear more from her directly. Her journey from craving community to creating a vast network of connection in the slow fashion space is an inspiring one, as is her humility and grit. Our conversation was my longest to date (and could have lasted for days, if I’m being honest), and as a result, I will be releasing it in three parts. Let’s dive into part one now.
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