From Heineken Dunks to Hermès: Inside Drex Araña’s journey from a 2014 sideline to Salcedo Village’s favorite neon-lit fashion sanctuary.
The average ukay-ukay experience means sifting through racks and racks of clothing before finding something worth trying out. At Give Me the Loot! (GMTL), owner Drex Araña has done the work for you, so you can jump straight to choosing and trying on the clothes.
Nestled in Alfaro Place Condominium along the quiet, tree-lined LP Leviste Street in Salcedo Village, this luxury thrift shop offers a refined alternative to the chaotic thrift experience. Here, owner Drex Araña has transformed the secondhand trade into a curated gallery where fashion lovers can skip the sifting and go straight to the fitting room.
From designer staples like Ralph Lauren to high-fashion houses like Miu Miu and Prada, the shop serves a specific niche: the collector who values both the heritage of a brand and the thrill of a find.
With its high appeal to collectors and fashion-lovers, the store is packed with eager shoppers on weekends. But before it gained its reputation among loyal customers, GMTL started out as most businesses do—small and simple.
From holy grails to Salcedo Village
Though the Makati storefront is a fresh addition to the Salcedo landscape, having opened in November 2024, the business is the culmination of a decade-long hustle. For 33-year-old Drex, the journey began in 2014 as a personal sideline.
In those days, he thrifted one of his rarest finds: a pair of Nike SB Dunk Low “Heineken”, considered a Holy Grail item for shoe collectors. These were originally released in 2003 for around ₱4,000, which he resold for ₱13,000 when he was starting off with buying and selling.
“That started all of this, actually,” he shared.
Drex eventually formalized his passion in 2019 by partnering with the Season’s Pass collective in QC, before moving solo with a branch in Maginhawa in 2023. During this time, he would also participate in pop-ups and flea markets, where his shop would gain exposure among more customers.
By August 2023, he decided he was ready to go solo and open the first GMTL branch in Maginhawa, QC. His marketing was strategic—he posted photos of items that were only available in-store so that interested buyers would have to visit the shop.
A year later, in November 2024, Drex opened the well-known GMTL branch in Makati, which is hard to miss, given its glaring neon sign through the window. The moved proved pivotal as it solidified GMTL’s reputation, attracting a high-profile clientele that includes the likes of actress Kathryn Bernardo and TikTok dance sensation Niana Guerrero.
Sourcing and authenticity
What sets GMTL apart in an increasingly crowded resale market is the hands-on approach of its founder. Despite a massive digital footprint and over 43,000 Instagram followers, Drex remains a one-man team when it comes to the core of the business: sourcing, curating, and pricing.
He navigates a complex network of suppliers, ranging from other specialized resellers to traditional ukay-ukay warehouses, looking for pieces that resonate with his customers’ evolving tastes.
It’s not just a matter of finding second-hand luxury pieces, but also ensuring that they match the customers’ style. “Through the years, nalaman ko na yung gusto ng customer namin,” he told radar.
Authentication is handled with equal rigor; while Drex uses his years of research to verify most items, he enlists third-party experts to validate high-stakes bags from Hermès, Chanel, and Dior, ensuring that every purchase is a legitimate investment for the buyer.
Redefining luxury pricing and sustainability
The philosophy at GMTL is built on the rule of resale—offering premium goods at a fraction of their original retail cost.
“Kunyari katulad ng mga Ralph Lauren na Polo, ang brand new yata niya is ₱8,000–₱10,000. Binebenta namin siya ng ₱3,500,” he said.
While these prices are higher than a standard thrift find, they represent a significant entry point for those looking to build a designer wardrobe sustainably.
Drex acknowledges that pricing is his biggest challenge; he must balance the sheer effort of sourcing rare items with the desire to keep them accessible to his community. By championing secondhand luxury, he’s promoting a circular fashion economy where quality items are kept out of landfills and given a second life in a new closet.
Over time, he has continued to adapt curation and pricing according to what his customers want. Whenever a buyer asks about an item they don’t offer, he is already on the lookout for it to add to the shop. He also added that they used to price items much higher, but later downscaled.
A third space for fashion lovers
Beyond the bottom line, GMTL has evolved into a social hub for Manila’s fashion obsessed. At times, they visit the store simply to hang out and look through the clothes, appreciate its craftsmanship, which he gladly welcomes. Though it started as a sideline, the store has become a place for designer enthusiasts to explore clothing.
He shares that seeing customers happy with their purchase and recommending GMTL to others gives him a sense of fulfillment. Outside of knowing your customers by heart and tirelessly searching for what they want,
Drex advises aspiring business owners to think about whether their heart is truly into what they are doing. “Dapat nag-eenjoy pa rin kahit nagwowork,” he shared.
As he looks toward the future, Drex keeps his expansion plans close to his chest, but his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs remains simple: your heart must be in the work. For now, whether through their vibrant Instagram feed or the neon-lit window in Salcedo, Give Me the Loot! remains a sanctuary for those who believe that the best fashion is often the kind with a previous story to tell.
Beyond profit
Aside from being a good source of income, Drex shares that seeing customers happy with their purchase and recommending GMTL to others gives him a sense of fulfillment. He has also built good relationships with his regular customers.
When asked about expanding the shop, he shared that he’s keeping his plans for GMTL under wraps for now. But while those are still in the works, the Makati branch and Instagram online shop remain open to all fashion lovers and collectors.
From ₱3,500 Ralph Laurens to authenticated Prada, see why Kathryn Bernardo and Manila’s fashion elite are obsessed with this neon-lit third space.
