Tucked away in Chicago, is an unparalleled boutique style vintage store called Deliciously Vintage. Beyond selling rare, designer clothing and accessories mint condition; this luxuryesque shop has twist in the shopping experience—personal stylists. Operating for roughly a year, the owners/stylists Law Roach and Siobhan Strong are proud parents of this one-of-a-kind store. I was recently able to go behind the seams and speak with one of the owners, Siobhan Strong about Deliciously Vintage.
Liggy: How was Deliciously Vintage originated?
Siobhan Strong: Several different methods. First Law was selling vintage (clothes) with our other partner Nick in New York City. They had a small boutique there originally called Deliciously Vintage New York. It was a collection built from working on movies and theater.
Then Law moved from New York to Chicago to focus on styling in Chicago. When he moved here, Tiffany, the original owner of this store called the Garment Room (which was also a vintage store) wanted to leave the location and move back to New York by December 2008.
And I said lets take over the store [laughs].
L: There are a lot of vintage stores scattered about in Chicago. How would you define your vintage store compared to others?
SS: Premier vintage boutique, more upscale. Not thrifty. A lot of stuff has been reconstructed to make things more relevant to fashion. It’s a cohesive collection, even from the décor. Everything is organized by color, making it easier to shop.
The owners-Law Roach (left) and Siobhan Strong (right)
Inside of DV Chicago
L: Can you explain your background in fashion?
SS: We are both wardrobe stylists from No Wire Hangers. I worked with Kanye West, Darrin Henson, Chicago athletes and I did reality show-“My Model Looks Better Your Model” [laughs].
L: How do you get your garments?
SS: Basically we go to state sales, put postings up for people who want to get rid of stuff but 95% of we buy from private owners.
L: Since this a boutique, how often do you get you merchandise in?
SS: Weekly for the most part. We have something new in at least once a week. But it varies—20 pieces to just 4.
L: DV carries luxury and designer labels, how do you go about authenticating it?
SS: Most of the stuff we know (off hand)-Gucci, Louis Vuitton, YSL. Other stuff we research it or go to the design house.
L: For people who don’t live in the Chicago-land area, do you have an online website of your items?
SS: It’s just a homepage right now. We want people to come in to get the experience. We both are wardrobe stylists, so its like a package—a personal stylist at no extra cost. We have people come in and ask for tips about key pieces for the season, trends even questions about hair, make-up.
We do have a DV Facebook page in which we have pictures of garments that we carry and Twitter page so people can know about events/promotions.
L: What is it like operating a small business?
SS: We are blessed to open a business in this economy. We just started feeling the effects of the economy around the holidays. And February 13 will be a year since we opened. It’s our, well my first business. You learn as you go and it’s just going to get better.
L: Future plans for DV?
SS: We want to expand, not just in Chicago. Ultimately, we would like another store in New York, Atlanta and possibly Las Angeles.
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