We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Virginie Bleyaert a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Virginie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

It all started with one thrift store visit… and finding my first gem.

What began as curiosity quickly turned into something more, I kept going back- it almost felt like therapy digging through racks filled with fast fashion, items with holes or stains in it to find those diamonds in the rough.
I started collecting pieces that felt special, timeless, full of stories. Soon, I had built a wardrobe I loved… but couldn’t keep to myself anymore.

I always had the vision—just not the plan. I was hesitant to make my first appearance on Social media…

Until one day, I said: let’s just start.

I started with a “garage sale” that became something else entirely. Carefully styled racks, intentional curation, pieces that once felt like me but were ready for someone new. And the response? So genuine, so warm—it pushed me to take the next step. I made my debut on Instagram and started posting about my thrift finds, my styling ideas….

From one pop-up to many, bringing in other vendors, building community, creating meaningful connections. People want to shop differently. More consciously and more uniquely.

Today, it’s more than thrifted finds. It’s a curated mix—sourced from collectors, from cleaning out peoples wardrobes (the Boomer generation is my favorite as they often hide those amazing vintage pieces f.e a well kept wool coat worn on the inauguration of president Jim Carter in 1976), secondhand platforms, and hidden gems everywhere—brought together into a styled experience.

Besides being a vintage fashion curator I added the title of “secondhand stylist”.
Because I style with secondhand pieces—but also because I believe in taking a second look, a second thought. Based on a questionnaire I curate pieces for you—pieces that fit your life, your style, your season.

What I realize now is that this was never JUST about clothes.
It’s about connection through my pop ups, intention, and giving fashion a second life.

Virginie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

About 9 years ago I arrived in the USA, I worked as an international model for 10 years – although this was my world, I never proceeded that career here. I fell pregnant, with no family or help around my life was focused around raising my family, 4 years later my second child was born. I always had the urge to be creative and to be entrepreneurial but didn’t have the bandwidth to do anything else besides being with my kids -until this schoolyear, with my kids being full time in school, I found the time and space to turn my thrifting hobby in to a full time occupation.

After the garage sale, I started posting more frequently on social media and using my fashion/modelling background, making styled content that sparked the interest and gave me followers.
I hosted a First Ladies night and Pop up and the rest is history.
Hosting these pop ups have reignited my need to be creative. Building a pop up around a theme with not only curated fashion but also curated vendors and other professionals (I had collaborations with a hairdresser who offered express haircuts, I had people who provided a welcoming drink, tea ceremonies, skincare and jewelry vendors)

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Being a perfectionist I always overthink each post, but in a life with AI people want to see the raw, minimal edited, not perfect image… Just starting to post and keep engaging with your audience. A heart, a comment a share… I treat Social media as a business. With (not yet) a website or reselling on other platforms- my revenue and audience need to come from posting every single day!

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

As a stay-at-home mom, I was always looking for small ways to make a little extra pocket money—something flexible, something creative. The entrepreneur in me was always there, but I wasn’t looking to start a full business, and I definitely never planned to resell my thrift finds.
There was no business plan. No strategy. Just time—and curiosity.
With my baby in a stroller, I began spending hours in thrift stores, slowly collecting pieces I loved. It became a ritual more than anything else. I was drawn to the uniqueness, the quality I could find at good prices!
My perspective changed on clothing and fashion since thrifting.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that I wasn’t just shopping—I was curating.
Before my first sale ever happened, I had been collecting for nearly two years. Building, refining, and shaping an eye for what felt special. What started as a personal passion quietly became something much bigger.
When I finally decided to sell, it didn’t feel like starting from scratch—it felt like sharing something I had already been building all along.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @vintagebyvirginie

Image Credits

@marysteatalk
@cksettings
@hslstyles
@bevyrutledge