We figured, that if we really want to know, it only makes sense to talk to a brand that experiences it first-hand: Vintanthromodern<\/a>.<\/p>\n Melissa Gonzales, founder, and owner of Vintanthromodern, has been thrifting and reselling vintage clothes and accessories since she was 14 years old. Today, she owns and runs a vintage clothing store in an artist\u2019s village in Westville, New Haven, CT.<\/p>\n Melissa fondly refers to her business as a passion project. She worked in a vintage store when she was in college and has since dreamed of opening her own someday.<\/p>\n Determined to turn that dream into reality, Melissa did what she could to sell her vintage finds whenever and wherever opportunity presents itself. She went from selling clothes on eBay and Etsy to traveling around Connecticut in her own roaming vintage store (a transformed old shuttle bus) to vend at outdoor events.<\/p>\n In 2014, she opened her first brick and mortar store in New Haven before moving to its present vibrant and creative location in Westville.<\/p>\n One of the first things that truly captured our attention was the store\u2019s name, and so we wasted no time in asking Melissa what Vintanthromodern means.<\/p>\n \u201cVintanthromodern is\u202fa combination of three words:\u202fvintage\u202f\u2014\u202fclothing\u202for items that date back\u202f20\u202fyears\u202for more;\u202fanthropology\u202f\u2014 the\u202fstudy\u202fof human\u202fculture;\u202fand modern\u202f\u2014 which in our case,\u202fmeans\u202freinterpreting\u202fthe\u202fpast into current trends.<\/p>\n On\u202ffirst glance it\u2019s a challenging name to pronounce, but once\u202fyou get it,\u202fit\u2019s\u202fhard to forget!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n True to its name, Vintanthromodern is home to expertly-curated wearable vintage for everyday wear and for special occasions. The shop also sells statement pieces for fashion-forward individuals who are all about being creative in their personal styles.<\/p>\n You will also find local and handmade goods including jewelry, candles, letterpress cards, and other hand-crafted items. The store is known for its versatile collections and ensures to have something for everyone regardless of style or age. Recently, they added a selection of retro clothes and toys for kids.<\/p>\n Many fashion brands race to design new and produce more clothing items than consumers know what to do with them. As the trends shift, last season items are pushed aside to make way for the latest fashion. This cycle churns out a lot of waste, both from the manufacturing process and the end products.<\/p>\n But with sustainable fashion becoming more than just a topic of conversation and now an actual effort to reduce and reuse, Vintanthromodern provides the option to do just that.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not only\u202fecologically responsible to buy and wear vintage,\u202fshopping second hand or vintage\u202fcan also be a fun and affordable form of\u202fself-expression.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Nowadays, buying vintage is a form of the creative process, prompting shoppers to create unique looks by mixing old and new. And for Melissa, witnessing this is one of the perks of her business.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s\u202fexciting to see how things\u202fthat once were discarded\u202fcan\u202fbe brought back to life.\u202fI love the sense of discovery in the eyes of our customers when they find something\u202funusual that they love\u202fin the shop.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Vintanthromodern\u2019s expertly curated selection of vintage pieces is sought after by established vintage sellers and fashion collectors. Their clientele includes collectors, performers, and buyers coming as far as New York. But according to Melissa, the fashion-forward woman is their best customer.<\/p>\n Going back to our question as to how smaller businesses make it in the fashion industry, we can safely surmise that for this vintage store, it\u2019s all about establishing their own identity as a brand, understanding the demands of their market, and having the foresight to recognize which pieces will resonate with their shoppers.<\/p>\n So how exactly do they curate the items that go into the shop?<\/p>\n \u201cIt may seem\u202fcorny, but\u202fwhen I\u2019m shopping, there are items that\u202fI know\u202fare waiting to be discovered.\u202fI don\u2019t look at every\u202fsingle\u202fitem\u202fwhen I am shopping, I scan, taking in all the\u202ftextures\u202fpatterns,\u202fcolors,\u202fand materials. Whatever stands out gets plucked out!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Melissa also shared that her curation process includes spending time to think about who wore the garment, who might wear it next, and how it will be reinvented and styled in the future. She follows her instincts and as much as possible, avoids being influenced by trends.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s\u202ffun to wear or fun to pair with current fashion\u202ftrends\u202fis always a best bet.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Despite being sought after by vintage buyers and collectors, Vintanthromodern is no stranger to facing challenges in their business, especially when they first started. And like any other small business, theirs is often financial.<\/p>\n Melissa shares that starting out without traditional sources of funding is never easy. But with ingenuity and a knack for creative development, she was able to overcome them. She was also resourceful, and what she lacked in training and background, she made up for by surrounding herself by fellow creatives and small business owners who showered her with great advice.<\/p>\n One of the motivators that push Vintanthromodern to keep going is, we believe, the fact that Melissa is grateful for the opportunity to be doing what she loves and enjoys.<\/p>\n \u201cI never want the day to come when\u202fI am\u202funable\u202fto do this.\u202fI have a\u202fprivileged\u202fposition;\u202fin that I am an\u202fart teacher by day and a\u202fvintage shop curator by night \u2014 it\u2019s the\u202fperfect\u202fbalance\u202fof two creative pursuits!\u202fHaving a\u202fcreative\u202fcommunity to encourage you is important\u202fand I\u2019m lucky to be surrounded by one in all facets of my life.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Vintanthromodern has come a long way, and if you ask Melissa to share the most important piece of advice that helped her entrepreneurial journey, she\u2019ll give you three.<\/p>\n \u201c1)\u202fFocus on\u202fgrowing your business incrementally, testing the market along the way,\u202fand paying\u202fattention to\u202fevery\u202fdetail, no matter how small. Melissa believes that for her brand to gain traction in the fashion and retail business, she needed something for clients to recognize and remember the store more easily.<\/p>\n The fast and simple solution? Custom hang tags<\/a>.<\/p>\n To maximize the printing cost, she designed the tags to be larger so they can double as Vintanthromodern\u2019s business cards.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an easy way to make and lasting impression while also making sure customers can find us on social media. The fact that\u202fUprinting is so\u202faffordable made\u202fit\u202fpossible\u202ffor us to make this seemingly small decision that has such a big impact.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\u201cThe fact that\u202fUprinting is so\u202faffordable made\u202fit\u202fpossible\u202ffor us to make this seemingly small decision that has such a big impact.\u202f\u201d <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n We are happy and\u00a0honored\u00a0to be\u00a0Vintanthromodern\u2019s\u00a0printing partner. We can\u2019t wait to see what the future holds for this inspiring vintage fashion store. Keep championing sustainable fashion and creativity!\u00a0<\/span> Fashion is a form of expression for many people. It\u2019s a way of embracing their unique selves by sporting styles that reflect their character and culture. Ever-growing and constantly evolving, the fashion industry\u2019s economic impact has made it one of the creative economy\u2019s \u201cbright spots\u201d. As many of the world\u2019s biggest brands are in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":29564,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_breakdance_hide_in_design_set":false,"_breakdance_tags":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1262],"tags":[1267],"class_list":["post-29563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ustory","tag-hang-tags"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYears in the Making<\/h2>\n
![\"Vintanthromodern](\"https:\/\/uprinting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/vintanthromodern-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIt\u2019s All in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>t<\/span><\/span>he Name\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Championing Slow Fashion\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Vintage](\"https:\/\/uprinting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IMG_2958-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nInstinctive Curation\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"fashion](\"https:\/\/uprinting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/vintanthromodern-4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Second](\"https:\/\/uprinting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/vintanthromodern-3.jpg\")
<\/p>\nUps, Downs, and Pushing Forward<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n2)\u202fA\u202fstrong work ethic\u202fis\u202fincredibly valuable \u2014\u202fremain honest to your vision\u202fand\u202fbe sincere in what you do.
\n3) Surround yourself with creative,\u202fsharp, and\u202fpositive people\u202f\u2014\u202fdon\u2019t underestimate the power of this to any successful business.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"Vintanthro](\"https:\/\/uprinting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IMG_2964-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStylish Hang Tags for Vintage Fashion\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\nDo you have a business story and Uprinting experience to share? We’d love to hear it!<\/center>For a chance to be featured, email us at customerstories@qauprinting.com<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"