Columbus community rallies behind Black-owned vintage fashion - OSU - The Lantern

MadamFannie Ağustos 26, 2021

Columbus community rallies behind Black-owned vintage fashion - OSU - The Lantern

Columbus community rallies behind Black-owned vintage fashion - OSU - The Lantern
Slip into fashion and family history at this vintage clothing shop - WDIV ClickOnDetroit
Able Shoppe in Elgin brings modern context to vintage fashion - Chicago Daily Herald

Posted: 24 Feb 2021 05:02 PM PST

Alison Carter, owner of Public Hanger, opened up a storefront at 77 S. 18th street in Columbus on Feb. 12. Credit: Courtesy of Alison Carter

Hashtags encouraging the support of Black-owned businesses and sales via social media are allowing local shops to thrive during the pandemic.

Katya Philmore and Alison Carter are the owners of two of Columbus' small, Black-owned vintage clothing boutiques. Over the last year, they said Black-owned businesses have seen increased interest and continued support from Columbus residents in both online and in-person shopping despite the ongoing pandemic.

Philmore is the owner and curator of Splendor Revival, a lifestyle brand that specializes in vintage and hand-sewn pieces, loungewear, statement pieces, gifts and accessories.

"The thing that really drives my business is just encouraging women to feel loved and beautiful by the things they bring into their homes or put on their bodies," Philmore said. "It's all about encouraging self-love, relaxation and rest, and kind of the everyday opulent."

Splendor Revival first opened in a studio on West Rich Street five years ago, but the original space has been closed since the pandemic began. Instead, Philmore said she is operating from her website, Instagram account and her space at Little Light Collective, a vintage co-op owned by April Rhodes that opened in September 2020 in Clintonville, Ohio.

"I saw a huge influx of new followers and supporters from people wanting to support Black-owned business," Philmore said. "It was almost a little overwhelming in the summertime because there was just a lot to emotionally process with everything happening."

Public Hanger, owned by stylist Alison Carter, is an '80s- and '90s-themed vintage clothing boutique that is part of a Black-owned co-op. Carter said she recently opened up a storefront at 77 S. 18th St. on Feb. 12, but began the business online in 2012 after her love and abundance of vintage clothing led to the idea of sharing and styling it for others.

"I really appreciate vintage. I like stuff that's been used but still has a story to tell," Carter said. "I had so much stuff and it was going to waste, so it just kind of transitioned into selling stuff."

Philmore said the pandemic made her shift gears in some interesting ways and explore things she wouldn't have before. She launched a subscription box and a letter writing service, and she became more active on social media.

"I've been doing a lot more sales on Instagram, and those have definitely seen a large influx of people," Philmore said. "As long as I'm doing consistent updates, I definitely see a large uptick in followers."

Carter said she also saw an increased interest in Black-owned businesses last summer. She was able to do some socially distanced pop-up shops when "outdoor markets" opened up, but she ended up transitioning a lot of her sales to social media like Philmore.

"People were still willing to shop and were OK with shopping online, especially on Instagram," Carter said. "Not even posting on my website, I would do story sales."

Before the pandemic closed down businesses and caused limited in-person shopping, both Carter and Philmore said they were incredibly involved in the community with their businesses. Philmore said she was hosting workshops and events in the studio, as well as getting most of her business at pop-ups, street fairs and festivals.

The transition to primarily social media sales hasn't been easy for either owner; Carter said there's a lot of planning and preparation that goes into each story sale, and Philmore said she has been experiencing an increase in shipping delays for online orders.

"There's a lot of platforms to cover," Carter said. "You can't just post on one thing because you could be missing a whole market."

Despite the challenges, Philmore and Carter both said they felt the community has been fairly consistent in rallying around small Black-owned businesses from last year until now and only hope it continues.

"We don't see a lot of Black-owned boutiques," Carter said. "I think it'll be interesting to see the diversity being appreciated and accepted now. I hope that it's not a trend; I hope that it stays consistent."

Slip into fashion and family history at this vintage clothing shop - WDIV ClickOnDetroit

Posted: 15 Feb 2021 12:00 AM PST

This store located in Farmington Hills not only sells colorful, vintage clothing, but also the interesting and heartfelt stories that come along with them. The Lowry Estate was opened by Corliss Elizabeth Williams who was influenced by her family's passion for fashion. Her grandmother was an avid traveler and shopper whose stories of her extravagant shopping trips to Hudson's are legendary within her family.

Corliss took some of her family's clothes and jewels and began to sell them, sharing the history of the outfits that lingered, and encouraged the new owners to make a story of their own with them.

Watch the video above to hear more about Corliss and The Lowry Estate.

Able Shoppe in Elgin brings modern context to vintage fashion - Chicago Daily Herald

Posted: 17 Feb 2021 03:30 AM PST

A new shop in Elgin wants you to think differently about buying used.

Walking in to Able Shoppe at 23 S. Spring St. feels more like entering a chic boutique on Oak Street in downtown Chicago than a vintage clothing store in downtown Elgin.

And that's precisely the feel for which owner Liv Melchers was going.

"Everything in here is very intentional," she said. "I want it to feel like a gallery, because everything is so textural and colorful and I don't want it to feel cluttered like an antique store or thrift store."

Able Shoppe in downtown Elgin carries a curated collection of vintage, re-created and handmade garments and home decor. - Rick West | Staff Photographer

Melchers, 26, opened the shop a few weeks ago in an effort to present vintage clothes and home decor in a modern way.

She said she watches the trends in fashion and decor and is a self-proclaimed "big runway nerd."

"I see what's coming back and I go out and find the original version of that thing," she said. After cleaning, it's all about presentation.

"I try to find vintage that is beautiful just the way it is," she said. "I just curate it and recontextualize it in a modern way."

Melchers passion for reusing items came from a college internship at a fashion boutique that specialized in ethical and sustainable fashion.

"It's about choosing ways of shopping that are better for the environment and also better on humans," she said. "A lot of big, fast fashion retailers sell clothes made overseas by people who are way, way, way underpaid."

There's also the issue of waste.

Melchers makes handmade jewelry for the store, including these clay earrings. - Rick West | Staff Photographer

The EPA estimates 17 million tons of textile waste was generated in 2018, a figure that represents 5.8% of all municipal solid waste. An average consumer throws away 70 pounds of clothing per year. The EPA says the recycling rate for clothes and shoes is only 13%.

Melchers said two-thirds of the clothes people donate don't even make it to the floor of thrift stores because of the abundance of clothing waste.

"There's so much more of everything," she said. "I'm just trying to be the middleman, taking things that maybe people were done with and thought weren't relevant anymore and then giving it new life, and that way hopefully saving some things from the landfill."

With so much extra stuff floating around, Melchers has myriad ways to source her inventory.

Before the pandemic, most of her clothes and decor were purchased at estate sales or garage sales. She and her husband Erik love to travel and many of her finds would come from exploring local thrift and antique shops while on the road.

Now, a lot of her purchases are done online, which is where her business started.

Melchers started selling her wares online about five years ago and maintains her Etsy shop now. She grew her brand presence on Instagram, where she has more than 8,500 followers.

"There's a huge, supportive community as far as vintage and sustainable fashion goes," she said.

Melcher said one of her favorite things about the online community she's a part of is meeting the owners and makers at their boutiques and shops, which is why she wanted to open a brick and mortar store. She settled on her location after a yearlong search.

"I feel a lot of excitement about downtown Elgin," Melchers said. "We've always loved it and thought there's crazy potential here. It's really encouraging to see all the new things that have opened or are about to open."

Downtown Neighborhood Association Executive Director Jennifer Fukala said the shop is a perfect fit for what the group is trying to do.

"It's checking multiple boxes for us as something that's unique, it's artistic, it's a destination business, it's somebody that has really developed their brand," Fukala said.

"It's shops like this and people like Liv that are bringing their own passion and their own flavor for what they're doing that embody what we're trying to highlight downtown."