“Low Battery. 10% battery remaining.”
The notification taunted me from my iPhone screen. I tapped “Low Power Mode” with a grunt of frustration. “I’m trying my best here,” I muttered.
It was true. I was trying to get a lightning cable charger from the self-service lockers in Powell, but they were not my friends. Locker after locker was only giving me USB-C chargers, and I felt like I was going to lose my mind. After 15 minutes of failure, I walked to the CLICC lab and luckily, the employees there had an extra lightning cable behind their desk.
While I waited for my phone to charge, I wondered what I could do to blow off some steam. I only had one class that day, but it had been a long week, and I needed to do something to unwind. And then it hit me — The Bruin Flea. I checked their website on my computer and sure enough, it was happening that day and had started at 3 p.m.
Once my phone charged, I started walking down to Westwood. It was a beautiful day, partly cloudy, with mild weather. When I got to the flea market, I was struck with how lively the whole place was. Music from the DJ floated down Broxton Avenue between pop-up tents and tables covered in everything from crochet animals to stickers to customizable jewelry to treats to second-hand clothing.
One of the vendors that caught my eye was selling an array of beautifully curated second-hand clothes. I walked up to the owner and began asking her about herself and how she liked selling at The Bruin Flea. I was quickly intrigued by Leana Gamble‘s background and though I only talked to her for a few minutes, I was struck by her kind smile and the passion she had for the clothes she was selling.
Later on, I followed up with Gamble because I wanted to learn more about her curated closet, Lelomarkets, and her connection to The Bruin Flea.
Gamble began her business in the summer of 2018 as a sophomore in high school. While she had always been interested in fashion, what catapulted her to where she is now was when “a friend of [hers] told [Leana] that she loved [her] outfits and if [Leana] sold clothes she would definitely buy them.” From there, she started selling her wardrobe online, aiming to give second-hand clothing “a new life.” In 2021, she began doing pop-up markets. Gamble has been at The Bruin Flea since December 2025, and The Bruin Flea coming up on May 15 will mark her fourth appearance.
Because vendor spots fill fast, timing is vital when applying to be a vendor. Despite this pressure, it is always worth it for Gamble to come back to The Bruin Flea. She explains, “What makes The Bruin Flea unique is how heavy the student population supports small, local businesses. I personally adjust my pricing to fit the budget of students who are looking to expand their wardrobes.”
Additionally, she sees the student environment as particularly singular as she is able to cater towards students searching for particular styles, giving them a safe space to brainstorm. For Gamble, The Bruin Flea is a space to reach a diverse audience and connect with others who are also interested in fashion.
Interestingly enough, The Bruin Flea did not always look as it does now. Its origins began in the fall of 2022 as the “620 Night Market,” which was actually hosted at Delta Sigma Phi’s fraternity house. Created by Luis Lopez and Holland Smith, chapter brothers and, at the time, UCLA undergraduates, the in-house night market aimed to involve local communities and use some of the proceeds to support student-led initiatives and local non-profits.
In 2023, Lopez began collaborating with Westwood Village in order to give The Bruin Flea a home on Broxton Avenue. Every month, the flea market comes back to host vendors like Gamble. For students like me, the presence of the flea market makes those Fridays just a little brighter, even when a faulty phone battery threatens to ruin your day.
