For Tita Loyek — better known by her online alias Sample Sale Bestie — it all started with a group text.
Waiting in line for Los Angeles-based womenswear label Cult Gaia’s sample sale in New York City in June 2023, Loyek befriended a few like-minded shoppers, also hoping to scoop up the brand’s metallic bags and fringed dresses for less. But the newfound friendships continued: Loyek began a group chat with her fellow sample sale…