Who would have thought that the direct messages of a second-hand selling app would give rise to such scintillating content? Well, the owner of the Depop Drama Instagram account apparently, and they were right. With a following of over 500K and mentions in a number of high-tier publications, Depop Drama is the meme page of the moment, writes Olivia Woodhouse.

The drama of Depop: you might have seen the reposts strewn across Instagram stories or friends tagging one another in the comments sections with a few additional laughing/crying emojis. The page pays homage to the hilarious oddity of Gen Z culture. While one conversation might be centred around the purchasing of the last batch of menthol cigarettes, another will be a discussion on a rogue pair of dirty knickers found warming the pocket of a fresh purchase. The range of bizarre and troubling situations that arise on the Depop fashion marketplace app appears to be endless.

The owner of the Instagram account dedicated to celebrating those situations (we’ll refer to them as “D Drama” for reasons of anonymity) saw the potential in the “funny and ridiculous messages” received via their own Depop account. Instead of letting them fester on their phone, they decided to upload them to Instagram; the result was an instant hit on the platform. 

As a user of the app I can confidently say that, aside from being an impressive and sustainable alternative to fast fashion, there is definitely a degree of vanity and status that exists on the platform. D Drama describes the clientele on the app as “young, fashionable and interesting.” Luckily, as D Drama discovered, this “intersects with meme and popular culture pretty well” and no wonder — the ability to poke fun at Gen Z’s perpetual desire to be ‘cool’ and ‘unique’ is a brilliant idea. 

“Niche” was a word D Drama used to describe the items sold on the site; this is certainly true of the customised accessories and cropped Ralphy polos, but it also very much reflects users’ desire to find something that’s one of a kind. Unfortunately, one of a kind can often mean £40 for a charity shop Umbro jumper, or a Primark bag with the word “Dior” embedded in diamanté. It’s a testament to a generation that is obsessed with image while being largely unable to afford expensive, quality clothing (through no fault of their own).  

And what does the Depop platform itself think about all of this? “I've been in contact with Depop a few times; generally they love the lightheartedness of the account. I think it actually helps the app as it keeps it relevant and people become more interested in selling things. I would definitely consider a collaboration!”

With Instagram found to be the most used app during lockdown and users increasing their usage by 67%, it’s in brands’ best interest to find new ways to utilise social media. Could collaboration with meme pages be a new form of influencer marketing? 

Looking to the future, D Drama is excited about the newly founded @takeawaytrauma, “the sister account of Depop Drama.” Then there’s the secret side project about which D Drama will give nothing away. “Watch this space” they aptly finish on. Watch, we most certainly will. 

@depopdrama