SPICE VINTAGE: WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
11:39
Remember me? It's been almost two months since I've blogged. I really missed expressing myself through words. But now that my final year project is submitted, what better way to get back into blogging by talking to someone who is also working on their own project? You can imagine how excited I was when I discovered that Gracie Collier would be opening a new vintage clothes shop in Limerick of all places. I decided to chance my arm and get in contact about possibly getting an interview, and she couldn't have been more lovely. Fresh from the success of her pop-up shop Spice in Clonakilty in West Cork, Gracie decided on Limerick for her next venture.
******
Why call the shop ‘Spice Vintage’ in the first place?
As it happens, my mates are part of this! When one of our friends would do something slightly risqué we’d call them ‘a spice child’, along the vein of ‘spice up your life.’ I also make my own festival headpieces and I named that venture ‘Spice’. However, it does stand for ‘Special People In Creative Energy’. So, people who shop in Spice hopefully dress a little bit mad and crazier than normal.
Talk me through how your love of vintage fashion came about?
I wasn’t always into fashion. I was really sporty and I wore a lot of tracksuits. It is actually my aunt where I get everything from, she’s totally creative and influenced us all. I remember I asked my parents for a JD Sports voucher for Christmas and instead she told them to get me a Topshop voucher instead and said, ‘give this place a try.’ She got me into charity shopping and so that evolved into vintage shopping. When Folkster (Kilkenny) opened up myself and my sisters were just obsessed, we would go down once every two months and spend all of our savings in Folkster.We became mates with Blanaid (Hennessy) because we were in there the whole time. She made it seem achievable as she had a very similar background to me. I connected a lot to what Folkster had done and felt they had really led the way for vintage in Ireland.
What encouraged you to venture into the world of vintage retail?
I began to accumulate clothes, and as I was a student I needed to get rid of them. I started looking into ways of selling them, for example selling online on eBay. And I started making my own stuff, like tie-dye and I started selling that to people in college. Then I found out about the Dublin Flea Market and I must have done that for about six months in a row.
I did Arts in Galway and then I worked in retail for two years, the happiest I’ve ever been and then I did a masters in marketing in Dublin. I realized very soon on that Marketing was a career I absolutely hated. It wasn’t meaningful work and wasn’t as creative as I thought it would be.
I ended up leaving my last job and then worked three jobs. My second job was as a CEO’s personal assistant for a marketing group. On the day I decided to leave my boss said, ‘you’d probably be better running your own business than being my PA.’ So, I went and did digital marketing freelance and helped small businesses, it was a lot more meaningful because these businesses actually needed it. I brought all those skills from working different jobs together when I set up my own shop and realised my masters in Marketing was not lost on me. I never would have set up my own business if I hadn’t had that background.
So, you started out in Cork and then progressed to opening a shop in Limerick city?
Yes. So, the first thing I needed was space. In order for me to do what I wanted, I needed to create financial freedom so that I could create the space needed for the shop. One of my mates lived down in West Cork, had a great life down there and the cost of living was nothing. I moved down to West Cork and I did marketing freelance for an organic skincare company. West Cork is so bohemian, there’s a strong entrepreneurial mindset down there.
Eventually, a pop-up space came up, I could take it for three months but had two weeks to get ready for opening. The thing is, if I’d had more than two weeks to do it, I’d have talked myself out of it. But I had the financial freedom to go for it. My whole family pitched in and it really couldn’t have gone better.
I need to explain to my followers when I left West Cork. It wasn’t that it didn’t go well, it was that it went SO well that I’m in Limerick. It turned out that the rent rates for a proper space in Clonakilty were massive so I decided to look further afield. I looked up a city that didn’t have many vintage shops and Limerick has only one. I couldn’t understand why there isn’t as there’s an art college and a university. When I announced the move everyone on Instagram then validated the choice.
How have you found moving to Limerick as a whole?
I’ve tried to spend as much time out on the streets, getting a grasp for the vibe. I have no doubts at all about Limerick in terms of how well the shop will do. I don’t understand why it’s not already done as there’s a lot of young people here.I think Limerick has very similar vibes to Galway.
Did you have a hands-on approach when putting Spice Vintage together?
It was literally me and my dad, when we got the space it was a shell of a unit yet I really got a good feel for the place with its high ceilings. I wouldn’t want to do it any other way because I feel if you’ve created something yourself totally, you feel there’s a bit of you in the space and it’s a big deal to share it with other people.
We do it all as sustainably as we can. We have a lot of wood at home and a lot of the decorations in the shop have been gifted to me. I think a lot of success with businesses comes from being tight with materials. What I kept asking myself when it came to materials was ‘can we either borrow it or make it ourselves?’
Did you have a set vision for yourself when setting up the shop?
I got a page and wrote down the things that annoy me about vintage shops and said, ‘right you’re going to do the opposite.’When it comes to pricing and large-scale vintage shops in Ireland, items are often too expensive. It makes me so sad as the majority of people buying vintage are students and young people. With Spice, I want people to come in here and find something that makes their heart skip a beat.
Another thing that I don’t particularly like is bulk, where all the same items are clustered together. In Spice, all the clothes are mixed in and the feedback I got back from Cork was positive. I feel when vintage shopping it’s fun to have a good root because when a customer finds an item it feels more special to them than just picking from a sales rack of identical items.
Where do you source the clothing for the shop?
Breaking into the industry has been interesting. It’s very much about who you know. I go to wholesalers and handpick from them. Most vintage shops would buy from wholesalers but use a stock sheet and buy in bulk. However, I go into the warehouses and throw anything that makes me sweat into the basket. I have contacts in Los Angeles, Germany, and London, they send me over pieces to look at. Some of my friends live in Turkey and Morocco, they’ll send me over bits too. I have a lot of ethnic clothing, and they would be Indian, Chinese and Pakistani influenced. I love Afghan jewellery and headpieces. So, I’ve an eclectic mix of gems.
Will you be hands-on with the running of the shop?
I am going to run it by myself for a while, test the waters. My goal is not to build it up and pass it on to a lot of employees. I’d like to be there to meet all the customers. Even with the social media side of it, I do it all myself. Eventually, I’d like to have people in for maybe two days a week. However,I’d rather experience it all, especially to see what sells and what doesn’t.
What other elements of yourself would you like to bring into Spice Vintage?
I’d like to host wellness related talks and workshops. I want the shop to be a place where people can see gigs and attend yoga classes as the space itself is very open. So, if people would like to do a DJ set or play a gig, come talk to me and we can sort out the logistics. Even when it comes to styling vintage clothes, if you need help, just ask me and I’ll dress you.
What would you like customers to take away from visiting the shop?
I want customers to enjoy the shop on many different levels and affect their lives positively. I make a point of saying hello to every single customer that walks in the door. Hopefully, the clothes will inspire people to wear what they want and encourage them to make their own signature style rather than be a carbon copy of everyone else. I believe a person’s style gives you a sense of their personality.
Are you hoping that in time you and your shop will become involved with the culture and people in Limerick?
I’d really like to get involved with students from the art college. I want to offer up my window for them to put up displays. I’ve decided to display one piece of artwork a month for my first year in Limerick. If students would like to sell designs in the shop, I’d like them to come in and have a chat with me and see what we can do as I’d like to help local creatives in any way possible.
*****
OPENING HOURS:
TUESDAY - SATURDAY 10am - 6pm
Unit 1, Riverside House, Harvey's Quay
Limerick, Ireland
Limerick, Ireland
****
HEY! Thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this interview. I had so much fun talking to Gracie and putting together this post was so exciting. I highly recommend you check the shop out!
0 comments
I love hearing feedback, all constructive criticism welcome!
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.