ARLINGTON, Texas—Fashion and culture come together at Commodities in the heart of downtown Arlington.
Brandon Avaroa, owner and founder of Commodities, said he wanted to create a space for people to connect through culture and fashion.
“The name Commodities is a shorter term of what our original name was and still is, The Culture Commodities,” Avaroa said. “These are all commodities to us within our culture— sneakers, vintage.”
One dream leads to another
Having started originally sourcing sneakers, Avaroa was inspired to open a vintage shop right in the heart of downtown.
“The love of finding and sourcing sneakers led to wanting to open a boutique, specifically in the downtown area, since there was nothing here at the time,” Avaroa said. “We started the business in 2020 doing pop-ups and conventions and officially opened the store Dec. 17, 2022.”
The store is located at 200 E. Abram St., #130.
The origin of Commodities is a product of a passion project that turned into a full-time business.
“It started as a side hustle I was doing when I was working full time,” Avaroa said. “Now we’re here six days a week.”
Commodities is a one stop shop for many pieces, such as clothing, shoes and accessories. Avaroa and the Commodities team take pride in sourcing top pieces for the shop.
Pieces are broadly sourced
Some pieces come in store, we’ll thrift, we’ll bulk buy and we come across other curators within this community,” Avaroa said. “Sometimes we find original owners that need the funds for something else— we’ll find those guys and they’ll sell us their whole collection whether its sneakers or vintage.”
Commodities is not only home to vintage staples but also its own original pieces.
“The way I see it, vintage, street wear and sneakers all go hand in hand,” Avaroa said. “For us, it’s not only taking that but surrounding it around our own brand, and that’s where the Commodities T-shirts come in. “We’re growing into different things, we’re getting into cut and sew now so we have a couple items we’re gonna test with the community.”
Avaroa said he understands that people view their clothing as extensions and markers of who they are.
“Identity. That’s what fashion is to me,” Avaroa said. “Whether it’s something newer or something older, it can bring nostalgia, a memory or push you to where you want to go.”
Clothes reflect what a wearer represents
Avaroa’s love for fashion has created a space for people to find themselves in his pieces.
“Fashion allows you to identify who you are automatically — people can look at you and understand what you represent,” Avaroa said.
Avaroa said his journey of working in hospitality helped him set the foundation for Commodities. At Commodities, the goal isn’t just to sell a product but to build a genuine experience and connection with the local community.
“Retention of community is super important to us,” Avaroa said.
With the growing number of local vintage shops, Commodities is driven to set itself apart from the competition through its hospitality and genuine customer connections.
“The products going to sell itself, but I want everyone to know is when you walk in, you’re going to feel at home,” Avaroa said. “Not only do we want you to come back just to buy, we want you to come here to connect with us.”
