Meet Amanda Severson | Sustainable Vintage Shop + Stylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Severson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Teaching others how to live sustainably by repurposing vintage fabrics/materials/textiles and clothing. Including bringing awareness and appreciation to styles of the past. Rather than ending up in a landfill, We’re able to wear and enjoy these secondhand treasures.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’ve been a secondhand shopper since I was really young. My favorite pastime was going to antique shops and thrift stores back home. My parents always took me with them and I genuinely loved it! The feeling of finding something so rare, something with so much history. You can’t beat that feeling, at least not for me anyway. I was always out hunting and sourcing, So I made the decision to start selling on my own. This was about 6 years ago. Since then, I have sold at local markets and flea’s. I’ve met many vendors and customers this way, Even made tons of friends! It’s huge for networking in the vintage community. I am so lucky that I get to be involved and also be around these amazing people. Over the past couple years I have watched my little shop grow. It is so neat to see! But It’s a lot harder than most people think. There is a whole lot that is involved, Like sourcing, that can take hours on end. Laundering all of the clothes. I seriously do so much laundry! It never ends. You also have to take lots of photos, I mean LOTS. Then there’s measuring every piece of clothing, Which can take up a lot of time. As enjoyable as it can be, It’s also exhausting. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. Like anyone, I have good and bad days. But you have to remember why you are doing what it is you are doing in the first place. You have to love it with your whole being! You can’t be afraid to take risks or try new ideas. Making sure to always have new inventory, circulating in and out. You also can’t be afraid to spend if you want to make a profit. I love sharing ideas with others, I always try to give advice when asked. I want everyone to be successful. I love watching my friends kill it! It motivates me. I know if I try hard enough and give it my all I can achieve anything.  I truly love this vintage world. It’s so near and dear to me. I love giving something a new life, loving it for a while and then letting it go for someone else to love all over again. That’s one of my favorite parts.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If one of my best friends was visiting the area I would take them to a few of my favorite places. I would start off by taking them to dark horse coffee, one of my favorite coffee shops in town! Can’t leave without a vegan donut! Then I would take them to some of my favorite shops, Including La Loupe Vintage, Frock You Vintage, Bad Madge and Ransack. I’m a huge record collector/lover so I would take them to Vinyl Junkies and Folk Arts Rare Records. San Diego has amazing food so it would be really hard to pick. But if I had to choose, I would take them to Rudford’s for breakfast, My favorite diner. Then Grand Ole BBQ for lunch. I would then head over to Fall Brewing for some beer’s, They have the best craft beer in town and its such a rad spot! They always have the best music on too! For dinner I would take them to either Cantina Mayahuel or Blind Lady Ale House. Sorry, I just couldn’t choose! Last but not least, We would have to go to my favorite dive bar, Live wire. Always a good time!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have many people I could thank. The vintage community especially is so amazing and supportive of one another. I have met so many wonderful people in this community, we have helped one another in so many special ways. Iv’e learned a lot and will never stop learning through others/shops I admire. One person I would love to give a shout out to is Brandi Munoz, She is the owner of local vintage shops La Loupe Vintage. Brandi has been my mentor for years. After becoming a regular customer many moons ago, we became friends, she has always been so helpful and supportive on helping me grow my small business. She always gave me really great advice and helpful tips. She still does! I started as a consigner at one of her shops. It really gave me the courage to start selling more at local flea markets, doing more pop up’s and selling more online. It made me feel good knowing someone like her believed in me. Lastly, I cant forget to give a huge shout out to my mega talented seamstress and loving and very supportive folks and husband. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.

Instagram: @alltheprettygirlsvintage

Image Credits
Photographers Shawna Schiro @shawna_shoots Hayley Sikorski @hayleysikorski Models/Friends Selina Inez @selinainez Savannah Witkus @savannahwitkus