July 28, 2008

Secondhand Pepe

by Orli Sharaby

Clothing swaps are fun for closet purging on the cheap, but secondhand clothes are a real necessity for much of the population. In Haiti, there’s a whole industry that revolves around used clothing. The clothes, the markets that sell them, the industry, and the vendors are all known as “pepe.” Clothes have flowed from the US to Haiti since the 1960s, but the origin of secondhand shopping goes much further. “Secondhand (Pepe)” is a 24 minute trilingual documentary film that explores the role of secondhand clothes in diaspora countries, from the Eastern European immigrant Jews in the early 1900s to the function of “pepe” in contemporary Haitian culture and economy.

Secondhand (Pepe)

via Inhabitat

Article categories: Arts & Culture, TV & Film

Article Link | Add To Delicious Add To Digg Add To Stumble Upon | Email This | Print This Post |

Subscribe

About PSFK

    PSFK is a global trends and innovation company that helps its readers, guests and clients make things better. PSFK publishes websites and reports; hosts conferences and events; and provides advice and consultancy. Contact us.