Thrift Brand’s Event Builds Community Ties In Jeddah

If you love food, fashion, music, and culture, then the Monochrome Community’s thrift store may just be for you. Happening on October 3 to 4, 2024, the shopping event brings all these together in Jeddah’s Ar Rawdah District.

Entitled “One Roof,” the event offers more than just retail therapy. While you browse carefully curated tapestries and accessories, you also get to enjoy live performances and face-painting sessions. In addition, you get to sample food and drinks all night long. The event starts at 5:00 p.m. and ends at 12:00 a.m. Sway your hips and nod your head to the beats played by local talents DJ Odee and DJ Roody.

“One Roof” is just one of the many initiatives organized by Monochrome Community, an independent events organizer. It takes pride in not just bringing concepts to life, but building a sense of community and promoting sustainability.

How it all started

In an interview with Arab News, Monochrome Community founder Faris Al-Manea shared how he started the thrift shop business.

“The major reason I created the thrift store at first was that I was a thrifter and saw that Jeddah didn’t have many thrift stores at the time,” he explained.

At first, Al-Manea offered to sell client’s products online. He then observed a lot of people were also selling books. That’s when he and his then-business partner thought of opening a secondhand bookstore. By organizing book-browsing events, they learned the essentials of regularly hosting such activities.

Soon, Monochrome Community was born. Apart from shopping a wide selection of secondhand items, customers could also interact with one another with food and music. The community has grown to host fashion events, jam sessions, art events, board game nights, and the like.

Championing practicality with thrift shopping

Al-Manea also wanted to challenge the mentality that buying or owning something that previously belonged to someone else is taboo.

“We as a community consider it taboo to own or buy secondhand items whether it is clothes or daily household items,” he said.

“I started out hoping that maybe bit by bit I could change that mentality. It’s a very outdated concept with no real logical basis. Why would you go out and buy a SR600 ($160) hoodie when you could buy the same one in almost perfect condition for SR100?”

Making the eco-conscious move

The thrift scene has since grown in Saudi Arabia, with more eco-conscious shoppers choosing to buy pre-loved items. Previously popular in the 1960s and the 1980s, the trend is quickly making a comeback. These days, the younger generations have especially taken an interest in it as they search for alternatives to fast fashion.

Shopping secondhand not only helps consumers save money but also reduces waste and encourages recycling and upcycling. In addition, most thrift shops give back to society by raising money for charity or accepting donations in kind.

Monochrome Community has become more than just a marketplace—it’s a cultural movement. Its events attract families, creatives, and fashion-forward individuals, all of whom share a common interest in sustainability and local culture. By bringing these groups together, Monochrome has contributed to the creation of a more inclusive cultural space in Jeddah.

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