VOLGA
/ Vintage clothing /
facebook.com/volga.vintage
facebook.com/volga.vintage
Sergey, the creator of the vintage store Volga, started doing vintage during school days: he used the saved up money for going to second-hand shops and looking for cool items. At one point, friends and acquaintances began buying them from him. Then there were sales on online platforms – and, eventually, a whole store.
Sergey: To increase luck in the search for vintage items, I come an hour or two before the store opens. That way I’m the first to get in and look for brands only – the main thing is to pull as many of them out as possible. I see a piece of clothing, I immediately visualize it and understand whether it suits me or not: how can I sell it, who will wear it on what occasions.
facebook.com/volga.vintage
The most enjoyable thing about working with vintage:
What I call my work is not actually work. I just organically exist. I love the whole process starting from the trip itself to finding clothes to buying them, planning the photoshoot.
Best Vintage Find:
So many purchases have been made – and they are all the best. And I’m not necessarily referring to some high branded things: often it’s just a no-name piece of clothing, an absolute “self-wear”, but cool looking.
Most of the time, I look for things in the Baltics or in Berlin. We also have an online supplier (but that’s a secret) – and then we just sit and press the buttons: we select something cool by following the gut feeling and ordering. Of course, I love to go shopping live, but the modern lifestyle dictates its own rules.
Vintaginarium
/ Vintage furniture and decor items /
instagram.com/vintaginarium
instagram.com/vintaginarium
instagram.com/vintaginarium
Vintaginarium is an online store for vintage decor and furniture. The creators were originally looking to find something vintage for their apartment: used these items to change the interior according to their mood. Eventually realizing there had already been so many things collected that some sort of rotation had to be implemented.
The family behind the creation of Vintaginarium: For us, vintage is not a business, it’s a hobby. We work in other areas, but at the same time we are hunting for something interesting. At one point we realized that our apartment, unfortunately, is not an unlimited space. That’s how Vintaginarium was born.
It is very important for us that objects, collected for Vintaginarium, were firstly for ourselves – they had lived with us for a long (sometimes shorter) period of time.
When the time comes to part with these items, we simply hand them over in the safe hands of people who can love them as much as we do. This opens up space for new discoveries.
The most enjoyable thing about working with vintage stuff:
Of course, in vintage we really like the idea of uniqueness – because these are mainly rare things. Plus, the search itself is just incredibly exciting. A hunt that boosts adrenaline. You never really know where and what exactly to expect.
It also gives us a great feeling of pleasure to put things in order (some of the items come across completely worn out). But they come back to life after restoration.
Best vintage finds:
There are a lot of cool vintage items in the French markets – for us this is a separate topic altogether. We return from trips to France with a suitcase half-filled with things that we found at flea markets and vintage shops.
More cool items may be found in London or Scandinavian countries (this is, of course, our passion). Scandinavians are distinguished by cutting-edge design – and what was done a few years ago still remains relevant today.
Japonistika
/ Vintage tableware and decor items /
instagram.com/japonistika
instagram.com/japonistika
instagram.com/japonistika
Vika and Julia are fascinated by vintage crockery and decor items. For their Japinistika store, they select the best vintage finds and ship them all over the world.
Vika and Julia: For both of us, the passion for vintage started a long time ago, about 10 years in the past. At one point, so many vintage items accumulated that they simply did not fit at home. So we came up with a mission for ourselves – to give every cool item a new life.
During covid, we discussed repeatedly how much the joy of new discoveries is missing from our lives. One day, during the lockdown, we spontaneously went treasure hunting together. Quite quickly – as we like to joke around, between the first and second trip – an idea for a small online project was born. Everything whirled so rapidly: in just 2 weeks we had collected our first drop, which scattered immediately. We picked up speed so fast that after 3 months we already opened our salon.
The most pleasant thing in working with vintage:
Hunting, passion, search and excitement! The joy is to attribute, finding authors and collections, reading stories about manufacturers and designers. And also, when the items find a new home and new owners who value them as much as we do.
Best Vintage Find:
The best finds are those that have long been dreamed of and found in the wildest places. For example, when you drive through a village in Italy and stop at some strange junk shop just to find something super rare and collectible in a pile of rubbish.
Begemot Shop
/ Vintage clothing /
instagram.com/begemot__shop/
instagram.com/begemot__shop/
Masha and Nikita – the creators of Begemot Shop – from Latvia. Their story with vintage began in Moscow, where both lived for some time.
Masha: I lived in Moscow, studied law and dreamed of once having something of my own. One day a friend took me to “Okno”, a cool vintage shop. It was then when I first thought about vintage as a business.
When we first launched the Begemot Shop, we focused on young people who cannot afford to spend large amounts of money on clothing. We offered unique high-quality items at reasonable market prices. Contrary to expectations, established women began to buy clothes from us, combining them with luxury items.
The most enjoyable thing about working with vintage:
I love that people enjoy our stuff. Judging by the positive reviews, we are doing a great job!
Best vintage find:
The one that’s yet to come.
Fairies wear vintage
/ Upcycled clothing /
“The Fairies wear vintage” project only appeared recently. But Vika, its creator, has been working with attire for a long time, mainly just sewing things for herself.
Vika: It all started with my old jeans – I made the first denim jacket out of those. Then – a sundress made from grandmother’s leather coat. I love working with different fabrics, experimenting, recycling old garments and doing my share in saving the planet.
The most enjoyable thing about upcycling:
I love that new things are born out of almost nothing – unique and sustainable. So the fabric is given a second (or even third) life.
Best vintage find:
In Latvia, I mostly look for things to fulfill my ideas in Humana Vintage – there is a large selection of attire: you can modify or wear it just as it is.
