MACY ELENI TALKS HER NEW BOOK📚
BOOK OF THE YEAR? WE THINK YES.
Most of you know us for our Instagram content, and hopefully our Substack. We pour our heart and soul into every post, laser-focused on growing our platform, but we’ll let you in on a little secret: a top item on our vision board has always been publishing our own coffee table book. (If you’re an editor reading this, hit us up!) Shameless plug aside, our love for books about people and culture is what excites us about this new release: Macy Eleni’s very own, titled, “Second Chances: The Ultimate Guide to Thrifting, Sustainable Style, and Expressing Your Most Authentic Self”:
For those of you who are unaware, Macy Eleni is an absolute rockstar - a true woman of multitudes. She is a social media star, with over 885K combined followers and subscribers on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, who uses her platform and love for secondhand clothing to reinvent the fashion entertainment space. This comes to life in many formats, from her thrifting hauls and shopping advice to her styling tips and so much more.
Although secondhand fashion is trendy right now, Macy’s love for it comes from a place far deeper than social media or pop culture - it’s rooted in her childhood upbringing. Having faced depression and childhood trauma, she turned to thrifting as a way to express herself. Macy doesn’t keep her experiences with mental health behind closed doors; she regularly speaks out about them on her platform. Whether she's creating content around fashion or mental health, it’s clear she’s mastered all aspects of social media content creation. So, why write a book? And perhaps more importantly, why now?
PEOPLE BRANDS AND THINGS: You're best known for your video content on social media. What inspired you to explore the written format by writing a book?
Macy Eleni: Growing up, movies, TV, magazines, and books were a beautiful escape from my far less than sparkly reality. I’ve craved storytelling since birth and always felt pulled to do so through whatever medium would have me. Obviously as someone with no connections to any of these pretty gatekept industries, creating video content online was my way to share, using what was accessible to me…making videos with my phone at the thrift store, of course! Creating and hosting an unscripted show based in the secondhand world has always been at the top of my dream board but the universe said “BOOK FIRST!!!” and I could not be more grateful. The project came to me through my incredible book editor Sam Wiener, who reached out in 2022 and asked if I had ever thought of creating the ultimate guide to thrifting. Nothing had ever felt so aligned and right in my entire life…I grabbed onto the opportunity so hard and poured my entire heart into it. I think physical media is so incredibly important and I still have to pinch myself that this book is real and hitting shelves soon!
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If you really think about it, creating short and long-form videos on social media seems like it would be the ultimate training ground for writing a book. In a way, each video is like a different chapter, or sub-chapter, enabling audiences to get deeply immersed in whatever niche topic or subject matter is being shared. As Macy shared, there was a connection between the material she’s shared with her followers online, and the writing that felt right for a book format, but still, it was an entirely new beast altogether.
PBT: Can you walk us through your process for creating the book? Did you begin with the chapter concepts, writing, design, photos, or something else?
ME: The second my editor reached out I dug out all my old fashion books from highschool (specifically Teen Vogue Fashion Handbook, NYLON street style, Rookie Yearbook and Secrets of Stylists) started flipping through, snapping photos of any page that sent shimmies through my veins, and uploaded them all to a very secret Pinterest board. For me, everything I do starts with visuals, so that first Pinterest board helped me conceptualize everything to come. The table of contents, introduction, and Chapter 1 were the elements requested in my book proposal to the publisher, so I spent about two weeks dumping all of that out into my laptop. The introduction flowed right out of me, there’s a lot in there I’ve always wanted to share with my audience online but didn’t feel like I yet had the right place to do so. It’s definitely the most personal piece I have ever written and I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about all my amazing thrift beans devouring it that way I did all those books mentioned above.
Once the proposal was accepted and my book deal as a go, I stalked my own platforms, combing through every question anyone had basically ever left me about secondhand shopping and let what I found, mixed with my personal thrift magic guide the contents from there. Thrifting was such a lifeline for me, always has been, always will be and I hope this book makes all the thrift queens out feel seen for the fabulous fashion icons that they are…or are about to become!
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Writing is only half the battle when it comes to creating a book like this - the other half is the visuals, from graphic design and layout to photography, typography, and everything in between. For some, these elements might be an afterthought, but for Macy, her childhood love for fashion magazines and old-school photography stayed with her, manifesting in the distinctive layouts that fill the pages of her book.
PBT: We’d love to hear more about the creative direction behind the visuals. What inspired you to choose a vintage magazine style for the layout, and how did you approach the photography and other design elements?
ME: I honestly set out to make this book everything I would have wanted to read growing up but didn’t even know could and would ever exist. I was that girl with pages ripped from Teen Vogue, NYLON, and literally any fashion pub I could get my hottie little hands on covering the walls of my bedroom as a teen and they are what I used to manifest my thrift finds long before using Pinterest or Instagram. With how digital everything in media has become, I felt and do still feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to make this book, it only made sense to throw it back to where it all began. After my manuscript was written, my photographer Amy Mazius and I worked super closely together to conceptualize the visuals of every chapter and shot a lot of the images on old digital cameras I actually found in a box at my mom’s house back in Ohio from when I was a teen. After images came layout and I pretty much hand selected where every inch of anything you see in the book would go, I worked with a great designer, Shubhani Sarkar and she ran with all my notes, vision, and dreams for the visuals and I’m so obsessed with how it came out. We used the word BURSTING a lot when discussing how this book needed to feel…bursting with images, bursting with color, bursting with tips, bursting with the inspo we all maybe need sometimes to take a Second Chance on yes clothing but also our fabulous selves.
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Macy was gracious enough to give PEOPLE BRANDS AND THINGS an exclusive first look at her book, along with a sneak peek at the 'Second Chances 'Zine.' For context, this exclusive zine features behind-the-scenes content that didn’t make it into the final book and is available to those who pre-order before the publishing date. In addition to a copy of the book, pre-order incentives include chances to win designer bags and gift cards.
From the photos of the zine she shared, one spread in particular stood out:
We immediately felt like this page was so PEOPLE BRANDS AND THINGS-coded, with its emphasis on sharing Macy’s favorite thrifting 'Spots,' 'Follows,' and 'Brands to Thrift.' We also loved this image, which gives an inside look at the goods featured in the book:
The Juicy Couture 'Birkin' Bag?! Please! It’s all just too good: the images, the layout, the copy - everything. But enough about us; we had to ask Macy the hardest question of all: What’s her favorite? Here’s what she said:
PBT: Which chapter of the book is your favorite, and why?
ME: This is the hardest question ever because they are truly my children at this point and all hit such different parts of the second hand world but…
Chapter 4: Finding The Perfect Fit, was one of the most important chapters to me when starting this entire project. I’m a thin, white, cis woman and I only represent like the tiniest part of the thrift community. I felt an immense privilege in getting to create a first of its kind book like this, representing the secondhand world I love so dearly but I can only tell my story and give my tips, which yes can be helpful or potentially inspiring to anyone but I knew I had to bring in some other iconic and important voices to fill in the gaps. Fashion in general has long prioritized thin bodies, so of course that affects how many pieces beyond a certain size exist and can trickle down into the second hand market. Throughout my time making these videos online, I’ve often received comments regarding how it’s easier to find “good stuff” at the thrift store because of my thinness and they’re absolutely right. So, I tapped in a few fashion creators I love, Carrie Dayton and Moe Black, who break down their tips for scoring hotness on the racks. Specific brands to look out for and secondhand spots to shop that offer more extended sizing/source incredible pieces beyond just the straight sizes you more often see. This specific chapter also takes you through some really beautiful stories from gorgeous creators Brendan Dunlap, Mars, and Sin, who speak to how secondhand clothing can really aid in true gender expression for themselves and others.
But I must give a shout out to Chapters 2 and 10, those will hold the most true ass thrift advice, tips and tricks I have EVER given anyone and Chapter 8…for anyone who has been drooling over my estate sale finds the past 4 years, this Chapter will make you a pro!
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And now for our favorite topic: amplification. In the world of brands, this often means in-person events and activations designed to bring communities together while showcasing new products or campaigns. For a book, this typically involves authors going on tours and engaging in similar promotional activities. Macy is indeed going on tour, but she’s doing it in a way that feels uniquely hers. She also shared with us the launch of something very new and exciting on social media.
PBT: What's next for you? Any partnerships or events in the works?
ME: I’ll be taking off on my version of a book tour aka the Second Chances tour de thrift over the next couple of months. Taking over some fabulous vintage stores, to shop, shimmy and share all of our thrifty ass stories together! I’m also launching the second season of my YouTube show “LA Thrift Queens”. I filmed and released season 1 pre pandemic and have been so hungry to give it a revamp and take it outside of just Los Angeles, so get ready to tune in hotties!!!
And as I could not possibly make you wait until pub day for all the goodies…I have a really fabulous pre order incentive running till 9/24! Your pre order will give you access to a 30+ page digital zine full of secondhand outfit pics from some of your favorite digital hotties, a thrift haul centerfold like you have NEVER seen before, and pages upon pages of fabulous thrift tips that didn’t make the book and will make you eligible to enter the ULTIMATE thrift queen giveaway…I’m talking the chance to win one of 5 insane vintage designer bags, all the details are on my IG waiting for you!!!
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If there’s one book you get your hands on this year, make it this one. Whether you're in the mood to read and discover something new in each chapter or simply want to enjoy aesthetically pleasing vintage photography and layouts, this book has you covered. After (or before…or during) you’ve explored its pages, follow Macy on social media to stay updated on her new show, daily content, and all the amazing things she continues to do. You won’t be disappointed!
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