That’s So Raven

After months of American Lit, U.S. History, and Advanced Physics, any junior would be grateful to scrape by in first semester with a handful of B’s and a few hours of sleep each night. Raven Rothkopf, however, is scraping by first semester with posed pictures of vintage clothing that earned her more than $6,800 from her ever-expanding Depop account.

Depop is a social shopping app with more than 10 million users across the world. Created by PIG Magazine co-founder Simon Beckerman, Depop started as a social network in which PIG readers could buy clothes featured in the magazine. Beckerman realized that Depop needed a selling function and reinvented the app as a mobile space in which users can see what their friends and role models are liking, buying, and selling. Similar in function to eBay, users contact the seller and can pay either online with PayPal or credit card.

Though Rothkopf started her resell interest on Poshmark, a website on which users sell their old clothes, she switched to Depop during freshman year for its easier structure.

According to Rothkopf, Depop is more business-oriented and set up as a resale market. Similar to Instagram, each user has an account and feed in which the pictures they post is an item of clothing or an outfit they hope to sell. Users can see what other users have liked (posts in which they are interested) and ratings, which are reviews from previous customers.

In the summer before sophomore year, Rothkopf began her Depop business by selling a pair of jeans she ordered from a Korean fashion website called Stylenanda. The jeans originally came too small, and instead of sending them back to Korea, Rothkopf decided to post them on her Depop feed.

“I didn’t know what to do for packaging, so I put it in a plastic bag and a poly mailer, wrapped it all, and included a note thanking them for being my first customer,” Rothkopf said. “I also didn’t know how to ship it, so I ended up paying six dollars for shipping.”

Next to hundreds of pictures of sweaters, skirts, and dresses, Rothkopf’s policies on shipping, refunds, swaps and more are clearly stated, and users can click on her post called “Shopping Policies” to read them. Her customers pay for shipping (which takes around four days), returns are available within five days of delivery for a full refund, and each customer is responsible for lost and stolen packages, as well as for return shipping and packaging. She usually ships every two days across the U.S. and uses poly mailers (which are plastic envelopes), though she’s starting to use reusable and ethical materials that are better for the environment.

Junior Isaac Warshaw started flipping through outfit pics and rating clothing on Depop when a few of his friends told him about the app, and he asked Rothkopf for tips when he started browsing. While the only item he’s bought in the few weeks he’s been on the app is a $20 denim jacket, he hopes to expand his account in the future and start selling. “I’d go to a thrift store and find clothes and apparel for a low price and upsell it,” Warshaw said. “It’s a really easy way to make money and get clothes for a good price, and some people make and sell custom stuff, which is cool to see.”

Rothkopf agrees. “So many people on there are creative, and they’re there to express their personal style,” Rothkopf said. “There’s a sense of community when you see all these different styles and attitudes, and whereas people post outfit pics on Insta, they’re actually selling the outfit on Depop.”

One of Rothkopf’s close friends, Junior Anjali Chandel, looks up to Rothkopf’s style and is impressed by her account’s evolution. “When she started, I didn’t think she was going to build a following because on any social media it’s hard to get attention,” Chandel said. “There are so many younger girls at school that idolize her style, which has evolved to what it is now. She doesn’t think about what she wears too much, she just wears it.”

The younger girls include sophomores Nathalie San Fratello and Rebecca Gross who have admired Rothkopf’s Depop since they started their own last year. Though they’re not active anymore, they look to Rothkopf’s account for inspiration. “I like that she sells very 2000 style clothing and puts pieces together based on a time period,” San Fratello said. “She’s consistent with her posting and she does a really good job of promoting herself and making deals.”

Rothkopf primarily sells women’s clothes (though her grandpa’s vintage sweaters regularly make the cut) that she purchases from thrift shops and vintage or consignment stores, as well as from her own wardrobe. Her grandparents also provide her with vintage clothing, and her grandma regularly reaches out to friends for clothes they’re willing to give away.

Rothkopf praises her grandparents’ fashion choices from decades ago and is excited that they sell so quickly. “They had a cool vintage style, and everyone loves that kind of stuff on Depop,” Rothkopf said. “If there’s something I used to really like or I don’t wear anymore, I can sell it and make a lot of money.”

Chandel loves scrolling through Rothkopf’s feed and admires her sense of style. “She doesn’t follow a certain look or aesthetic, which is better because people try to have a look that isn’t comfortable to them,” Chandel said. “Raven wears what she wants and feels like, and she isn’t afraid to mix it up. I wear the same things every day, so I look up to her.”

Rothkopf’s followers have grown to more than 9,100. As more and more subscribers flocked to her account, Rothkopf made her Instagram public and linked the Depop account through her profile. Her photos have frequently made the Depop explore page that every user sees when they open the app. From there, users can view both the item and the owners’ profile. According to Rothkopf, the item sells almost instantly.

From growing her ever-expanding following to shipping tube tops and vintage sweaters, devoting time to Depop can become difficult for Rothkopf. Though Depop isn’t her priority now because of her schoolwork, she acknowledges the fashion and marketing opportunities the experience provides. “I love the whole business aspect of Depop, and it’d be really fun to continue to expand,” Rothkopf said. “I’d love to establish a clothing brand in the future.”