We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melissa Lokos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melissa below.
Melissa , appreciate you joining us today. undefined
Innovation “ (of a person) introducing new ideas; original and creative in thinking.“ – Google .
Having a curated vintage boutique seems straight forward, right? Hunt down vintage clothing frrom 1950s for a fair price, and sell in your boutique for a fair price, so vintage will fly out the door and that gives you more money , allowing you to shop for more vintage.
But… when the pandemic struck in 2020 we had to close our doors for 3 months. As a non essential business, were not allowed to operate. My husband, partner, and co owner of the boutique & I decided we needed to step up our listing style. The days of basic uploads, flat lays, Etsy/ebay/posh-mark etc. were not going to be enough . We decided to incorporate video & music. Styling the mannequins with a particular theme such a “night on the town”, intentionally adding music from yesteryear, to create somewhat of a music video… helped us to connect with our party crashers during such a turbulent time . We would have people wanting to know what song we were playing… and wanting to purchase the
Smallest items such as a scarf/ earrings , or sometimes the entire look we put together. We now refer to this type of styling and listing, as “story listings” because, we are creating a vibe, telling a story through our camera lens. In Addition with the growth & success of TikTok, we also learned different styles of filming such as transitions, which has made having a vintage boutique , that promotes using social media , much more fun… The summer of 2020 we incorporated live models , and that’s when everything really started to take off! Thank you Miss Magnolia and Greaser boy Joey for being some of our first muses.
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 Melissa , I am a 41 Year-old resident of Whittier, California and along with my husband/partner Brandon we own & operate Crash The Party Vintage boutique also Located in Whittier.
What makes our boutique special is the fact that it is geared Towards mid century enthusiast. We handpick every single item from handkerchiefs, neck, ties, household items, lingerie, jewelry , dresses, men’s slacks…. No matter what the item is, there was careful consideration and thought into every purchase.
Brandon and I have been Vintage clothing aficionados since we were teenagers, long before he met one another during our highs school
Years in the 1990s. We got together as a couple in 2003, and have been shopping together personally, and for our business ever since.
Brandon is a full-time tattoo artist and I had spent most of my youth (from 16 to 36 ), Working in restaurants, mainly as a server.. we purchased our home in 2009 and my income as a waitress was not enough to make ends meet. I took on a job as caregiver for a non profit for disabled adults. From October 2009 to May 2010 I worked for 7 days straight, no days off. 5 days at the nonprofit Monday – Friday , and Saturdays & Sundays at the restaurant, all while scouring the flea markets for my closet & for
Treasures to sell.. 2009-2010 Things were incredibly difficult so, I turned to eBay where I would go to the flea markets in search of vintage items and to sell online, to help make ends meet. Never would I have thought By collecting & selling from 2004-2016 (12 years) That would lead to my full-time career in retail, sourcing, styling, curating , traveling all for vintage. I love it- but, It can be tricky to source vintage here in Los Angeles, California, as there are many other vintage dealers along side of us doing the same thing as we do.
Discipline is a must in this business. Discipline to get up discipline to show up and discipline not to give up. Designated days to list, designated hours of operation, designated boundaries . There is No compromising when it It comes to What we pick for our boutique. Our shoppers , or as we call Our clientele “ Party Crashers” Expect a certain quality-a specific aesthetic… above anything else there Satisfaction / Expectations , and happiness is our number one priority.
It was grueling at first figuring out what works, but through trial and error, My strongest word that I have become accustomed to use daily is “NO”. No matter how good the price, no matter how good the item , If a piece of Vintage does not fit our Curation and we can’t think a specific person who would like that item , we will politely pass. We have to stand behind the product 110% . We will not compromise our Reputation for just any vintage or for anyone. We are highly selective … and I Believe it shows in our curated boutique and work ethic. We are not located in the greater Los Angeles area, we are on the border of Orange County, so we make sure to have new arrivals daily and are on Instagram promoting Tuesday through Saturday. While our boutique is open Tuesday through Sunday.
Another thing that is hard when you have your own brick and mortar is giving yourself time to recover from all the facets of being a business owner. Monday is our one day where we have the day to ourselves.. No phone calls, No sewing, no shipping, no buying, no steaming, no photography, no listings, no hours of operation, no replies… Nothing in regards to the boutique. We use that as our mental health and It has become one of my most days of the week. If it’s sleeping in or taking a hike, spending time with our furry family or family/friends alike, no vintage on Mondays.
We are most proud that we surround ourselves with the most amazing people… from our shoppers, to the people who help us on our days off , the property owners where we rent, to other vintage dealers who continue to us find what we need, our wonderful models… it’s been a blessing the people we have in our corner.
The final thing we are proud of is we are size inclusive we have stylish Vintage clothing from the 1950s sizes extra small to xxxl .
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
My partner Brandon and I started our vintage boutique with sales from pop ups vintage markets & the refunded tuition when I dropped out of Cal State Fullerton to pursue vintage full time.
We had already taken out a massive loan for our house and we knew we did not want to do that for our boutique… I remember Informing my partner that I no longer wanted to go to the university I no longer wanted to be a teacher, And I really want to pursue vintage clothing. He was in full support, but told me I have to give it .100% . 2013 I stopped going to CSFU… and with in 4 years by 2017 we had our brick & mortar boutique. We paid everything upfront. No loans. All of our sales over the years helped us open Our boutique, supply it, and even enough left over to continue shopping for the bouque .. the first 3 years were all over the place… but, the last 5 years have been wonderful. Every day you learn something new. I mean that with all sincerity, every day is a complete learning experience.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I believe what helped us build our reputation is our quality control but, our social media. Whether it’s Brandon eating on TikTok, or our shop drops on Instagram, we try to keep it fresh. Since we are off the beaten path… away from the studios, we do our best to bring the finest Vintage daily. We treat Instagram like a job… Where we are constantly listing and showcasing new inventory Tuesday through Saturday to remind people of who we are and what we do. During the week, it can be sleepy and lonesome, but, the weekend we have some of the most Fantastic people come through our doors. We would not be here with out the support of our power house team of friends, family, supporters, and party crashers! Thank you to everyone out there who have helped us along the way and Kept our business open for almost 8 years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://crashthepartyvintage.com/
- Instagram: Crashtheparty_
- Yelp: Crash the Party Vintage
