Graphic Design classes hosted their third annual Feldman Flea Market in the Feldman Horn Complex on May 20. Students sold upcycled clothing, bespoke potted plants, drinks, ice-cream and other projects they created throughout the school year. Proceeds from the market benefited the Garment Worker Center in Los Angeles, a workers’ rights organization that advocates for low-wage garment workers.

Graphic Design teacher Whitney Lasker said the flea market has become a permanent part of the Graphic Design I curriculum through its focus on sustainability and product design.

“At this point, the flea market is built into the Graphic Design I curriculum during the second semester,” Lasker said. “After talking about sustainability and how to create merchandise and products with those ideas in mind, students are asked to create a product of their own to sell at the flea market. Because of that, I think we’ll always continue the market as part of Graphic Design I.”

Abbey Herrera ’28 said the event highlighted the variety of artistic styles and creative approaches students developed throughout the project.

“My favorite part about selling my work at the flea market was being able to see all my peers’ hard work and seeing the variety in creativity and aesthetics in the products,” Herrera said. “We were all given the same guidelines, yet our peers all went in such different directions, from people selling milk tea to intricately designed puffer jackets. It was really cool to see all our hard work come together and appreciate everyone’s final designs.”

Caroline Daenzer ’28, who sold ice cream and custom apparel at the flea market, said the project evolved as she developed a stronger identity for her brand.

“Originally, I was only going to make ice cream with custom cups, but over time I became really interested in the idea of creating merch for the brand,” Daenzer said. “I decided to buy gray hoodies and design something that represented the ice cream company, called ‘Big Dough Energy.’ The biggest challenge was making cool-looking merch for an ice cream brand that didn’t already exist. I tried to focus on products I would actually buy myself.”

Shriya Vishwas ’28 said the event combined student interaction with a wide variety of creative products and businesses.

“I got to socialize with a lot of people, and I thought the sweatshirts people were selling were really cool,” Vishwas said. “There were also a lot of good drinks and snacks, and I especially liked the ice cream because it was really good and affordable. I liked seeing how everyone came up with completely different ideas and products for the market.”

Amanda Shu ’27 said the event gave students an opportunity to support classmates while purchasing unique student-designed products.

“Being able to buy merchandise from friends and support people in the school community was really enjoyable,” Shu said. “It was cool seeing everyone’s different brands and creative ideas come together in one space. Supporting students who spent so much time designing and creating their products made the flea market feel much more meaningful.”

Lasker said the flea market allows students to experience the full creative process while building confidence through direct interaction with the community.

“I really hope students gain firsthand experience from imagining something they want to create, designing it, making prototypes and then actually producing the final product,” Lasker said. “I also think it’s really important for students to sell their work themselves. Seeing an audience connect with and appreciate their product is an experience that students can’t fully get in a classroom setting.”