People used to stand in lines on Melrose Avenue and clamor for the latest release from streetwear brand Supreme. Around 50% of those individuals would be purchasing for their use, but the rest were present at the spot to flip clothing to make a profit. This is where individuals such as Louis Katayama came in.
A UC Irvine business student, Katayama used to serve as a pharma company’s marketing intern three years ago. However, Katayama was strongly attracted to side projects. In the past, Katayama resold products, mainly clothing, for other individuals to make money as a commission-like amount. In 2018, Katayama told OC Weekly that he did marketing and modeling on a freelance basis when the right opportunities emerged.
As for Katayama, purchasing used clothing and reselling it started as more of a necessity. He once used to purchase designer clothes as secondhand products. Back then, he discovered that when he would make the purchase, he would wear those products slightly and sell them for more than what he spent on them. For Katayama, it was a sensible option to purchase better quality products and use it as a subsidiary source of income instead of losing money on those goods.
Katayama first became interested in fashion at the time he was in the Orange County skate scene. Back then, Katayama used to collect Supreme and Thrasher gear to belong to his group of peers. Then, he started to wear Louis Vuitton and Gucci’s products to look wealthier. In 2018, he wore an updated variety of a 50’s youth style that incorporated tapered jeans and varsity jackets, plus Rick Owens streetwear with avant-garde styles. Katayama appreciated fashion as it let him individualize and express himself.
From that point onwards, other people started taking notice of Katayama. Then, others started to notice him and ask him to do the fashion business for them. It did not take long for Katayama to grow it into something bigger. Katayama used to meet people who were attempting to unload some products. Therefore, he proposed selling those items for them so that they would not have to worry about the trading part.
Katayama said that many people were wealthy and did not care about what they purchased. Instead of donating their products to Goodwill, in which they would get small tax write-offs, they could gain more money through consigning the items. After the finalization of the sale, Katayama would receive a commission-like amount on it, and he said that the remaining profits were offered to a local charity on many occasions. Katayama attributed his recent success in the consigning business to his capability to find prospective buyers fast and his market knowledge. In the recent past, he started selling higher-value products like jewelry and cars.
Starting a business that would sell fashion essentials made of high-quality raw materials was the ultimate objective of Katayama. He is still on Instagram with ‘the_renaissance_man’ as his Insta handle. He described Instagram as a way of not just putting all his clothes out there but also documenting these products for himself and others.