Although it’s important to share educational posts on Instagram about the BLM movement and sign petitions demanding justice against police brutality to support Black folx, it is equally important to make financial contributions to counteract the systemic economic disadvantage the Black community faces. This can be done by donating to different organizations working to address systemic racism, or by directly supporting Black-owned businesses. This article will be about the latter, and I’ll be sharing my favorite Black-owned vintage shops in Canada. Buying vintage from Black-owned shops is especially significant because it pushes back against the racism problem within the vintage community. Certain people who dress vintage romanticize not only the fashion of the past but also its misogynistic and racist values, which is why it’s doubly important to support Black-run businesses in this industry. As goes the slogan born in response to some of the regressive ideas within the community: Vintage style, not vintage values.
- KD Vintage Goods (Ottawa, ON)
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I’ve been following KD Vintage Goods since Kadeeshia, the owner, opened up shop, and it’s been amazing to watch her shop grow in such a short amount of time. KD Vintage Goods started out as an Instagram shop in January 2019, where buyers could scroll through a feed of curated vintage clothes and accessories put together into gorgeous outfits. Since then, Kadeeshia has moved her shop to a personal website, where she has begun offering vintage home goods in addition to clothes. Her shop’s aesthetic is especially inspired by cottagecore, with its swooshing floral dresses and skirts, delicate lace and crochet pieces and high-quality leather and denim items. If you need an outfit appropriate for roaming through a sunflower field or forest, this is the place for you. On her Instagram, Kadeeshia has often also advocated for the Black Lives Matter movement and the sustainability philosophy of shopping secondhand.
- MODEdeMIT (Toronto, ON)
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I only recently discovered MODEdeMIT and I’m sad I hadn’t found this shop sooner. MODEdeMIT is run by Orpah Wavomba, a Torontonian originally from Kenya. Her shop’s aesthetic can be described as sleek, elegant and classic. What really stands out to me is her incredible selection of white cotton peasant tops, featuring details such as intricate embroidery and puffed sleeves. She also has an amazing eye for vintage lingerie, suit sets, and jewellery. Orpah is passionate about sustainability within the fashion industry. On her Etsy page, she explains how, as a young girl growing up in Kenya, she loved to buy secondhand clothing brought in from the West via aid agencies. Now, knowing that most of these imported clothes depress local textile markets and end up in landfills, she has become an advocate for sustainable shopping practices. For this reason, she carries a small inventory of high-quality items that are made to last and also ships in compostable packaging. In addition to Etsy, you can also shop on the MODEdeMIT website and stay updated on her shop via Instagram.
- Ebony Vintage (Montreal, ON)
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Ebony Vintage is a Montreal-based shop run on the newer online marketplace Depop. Created by Nephtaly S-J, it features a variety of 90s and Y2K thrifted finds with a modern twist and is sure to have something to please all tastes and styles. I especially love Nephtaly’s selection of argyle sweaters and vests, bold animal prints, and classic cropped cardis. Nephtaly says she has always been passionate about fashion and began thrifting for herself in high school. She explains that, after ending up with more clothes than she could wear, a friend of hers recommended selling on Depop. She began selling a few pieces from her own collection, later realizing that she could turn this passion into a business, and she has not looked back since. She wants her shop to stay true to who she is, so she continues to hand-select every piece and describes each item as “a piece of me to you.” You can shop for Ebony Vintage’s lovely pieces here and follow her Instagram for updates on the latest pieces.
- Tell Them It’s Vintage (Toronto, ON)
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Last but not least, Tell Them It’s Vintage, also known as TTIV, is a Toronto-based Etsy shop run by Elizabeth Lima. Funnily enough, the origin story of this shop is quite similar to that of Ebony Vintage. Lima explains that as her vintage collection grew over time, it occurred to her that turning her passion into a business was the logical next step, hence the creation of TTIV. The aesthetic of her shop is quite eclectic and she carries pretty much any style you can name, from minimalist to hippie to western chic. Although her shop features many different styles, one thing you’ll always find at TTIV is incredible fringe jackets and ultra-unique coats, which could be said to be her signature pieces. She also loves the idea of dressing according to your mood and switching up your look whenever you feel like it, so she sells vintage from the 1950s all the way to the 2000s to reflect this variety. Be sure to follow TTIV’s Instagram to stay up to date on the newest additions to this one-of-a-kind shop.
There you have it folx: some of the coolest, Canadian, Black-owned vintage shops around. Be sure to share this article with a friend and help these special shops get the recognition they deserve. Know about another awesome Black-owned shop we should feature? Send us an email at hc.uwindsor@hercampus.com to let us know!