We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lily Kiti . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lily below.

Lily , appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The idea came to me during covid. Obviously people were staying and only going out to run errands. I started a collection of pre-loved clothing and the collection was called “Quarantini Collection.” One thing that really helps me get my day started is putting on an outfit that makes me feel comfortable and confident. Good outfit = day conquered! During quarantine there wasn’t much to look forward to but I wanted to change that. I wanted people to still feel good about themselves and give them a product that was sustainable and brought joy. Even if you were wearing the piece just to goto the grocery store or to the park. I dropped my first collection and it was beyond a huge success I was a little bit taken back. And I kept dropping clothes every other friday on my website and the drops would sell out 2 hours or less. I love styling clothes in funky ways and showing people how versatile the pieces are that is important to me. Also styling these pieces in different ways kind of opens up a creative side and people get inspired to try and wear things in new ways. There are many memories that clothing has, even though the garments are old they carry history and a story and it’s my customers job to keep making memories in these beautiful clothes.

I knew this idea would work because my passion for it was embedded in my body. It is constantly on my mind, my small business. And I know passion sounds corny but when you are drawn to something and you can’t stop thinking of new concepts, and get excited over new orders popping up on your phone, and it’s what makes you happy in the morning that is when you know you’ve found the thing you love. Being in love with my job is top priority I’ve always been surrounded by people that love their jobs – it is the best way to live.

I have the support of many people globally. And I build a strong bond between myself and my customers. My customers are my top priority always. Helping people find pieces that make them feel empowered and confident is the best feeling. Being able to have the opportunity to continuously create bonds with people is amazing.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

All pre-loved vintage garments styled in a contemporary way. I had a pretty large following on instagram and my followers turned into customers. The vintage clothes I offer are obviously old but I style them in a way that is appealing to modern trends + looks. I think that is what sets me apart from other people that sell vintage in my city. Vintage obviously can look super old and sometimes I am into that but something about the modern sleekness just intrigues my eye and I think other people can agree. It’s giving vintage a chance, you don’t have to look like a grandma while wearing vintage. That is my job to remind people of that – changing the fashion stigma that “new clothes are better” totally not true at all. You don’t have to buy brand new clothes to feel new. Especially with how damaging it is to the environment for new clothes to be produced, it’s slowly killing the planet. There is much beauty in sustainability, I stand by that.

The thing I am most proud of is myself. As I look back at all of the success and growth it makes me smile. I was able to do this from the ground up I never got help from anyone other than myself. When you are running a business sometimes it is hard to recognize or to even say “I’m proud of myself” I’ve been working on it. If I didn’t have grit in me my business wouldn’t be where it is today. If you are a business owner look in the mirror and tell yourself how proud you are of yourself. Be your own biggest fan. Show yourself love – it is important. Be proud of who you are and what you are accomplishing because it is extremely difficult.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Get on Tiktok. TikTok is the quickest way to grow a fan base. There are so many people on it and it only takes one vide to go viral next thing you know your product is sold out. I love the rawness of the app as well you don’t even have to go on there looking put together and that is the beauty of the app. People are on there because it is so relatable they want to see things in raw form unlike instagram. Talk about your business and what you do, answer questions that people normally don’t talk about, show behind the scenes, struggles, etc.

Instagram will always be my first love – and insta is moving away from the carefully curated aesthetic which I think is even more beneficial to business owners. It’s a great way to connect with people that live in your city and showcase the work that you do. It’s much harder to grow on insta though which is annoying but it is still a free form of social media to show your business globally which I appreciate.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Being relatable. The online me is literally me IRL. I post funny stuff talk all the time on my social media platforms and it creates this comfort safe zone for people. My online profiles are a look into my thoughts + opinions so pretty much a diary, i am an open book. Showing the real you will grow your business in various ways and link you to new opportunities! The pay off is incredible – by just being me :)

Contact Info:

• Website: lilykiti.com
• Instagram: lily.kiti
• Facebook: lily kiti