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

Evelyn , appreciate you joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

I like to tell a story as I curate, the key is getting your audience/customers to engage in what it is that you are selling and why they should have it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Evelyn Massey owner and curator of Noir Vintage & Company located in the heart of downtown New Haven, Connecticut.

We specialize in vintage apparel, decor, furniture, and textiles dating from eras 1900s to Y2K, all of which are sourced from local thrift stores ,estates sales, consignment shops, and eBay..

Our mission and purpose mainly is to help eliminate “Fast Fashion” by offering the customer sustainable choices with recycling and up cycling, preserving materials that are well made for the environment..

The Noir Vintage brand has a cultural aspect to it as well, my love for The Harlem Renaissance era reflects on how the design and interior came about when decorating, it was all about bringing that particular vibe into the shop..

Noir means “ Black in French “ was the perfect name to go with,..my obsession for black and white noir films, the color black which is my favorite shade to wear, and of course a black-owned women business .

What sets me apart is that I curate on purpose and follow great details to tell a story, I am most proud of having the courage and faith to step out and follow my dreams.

I often remind folk to “Wear it Again” “Use it Again” this is my motto!

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

When I decided to open a brick and mortar it was challenging to get funding for down payments, equipment, and some inventory items ( I did obtain most of my inventory prior to opening) I stored pretty much of what I had in storage for about 2 years, I had a head start and was very focused on my mission, startup money did not come easy and the hardest part was going to some family members and friends, a very difficult thing to do , but they believed in my dream.

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

During and after the pandemic was the most successful audience building time ever, although it was the saddest as well, people were stuck in the house and bored the only communication that we were accustomed to was social media, it is a very effective tool especially if you own a business., use it to your advantage.

Contact Info:

• Website: Noirvintageco.com
• Instagram: @noirvintageandcompany
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Photo of Me :: @lottastudios