Hala Vintage is a quaint hidden treasure tucked away in downtown Jersey City, NJ. Its possible to drive down 5th street and never take notice of this amazing boutique. Owner Hala Schlub delivers an exclusive curated selection of vintage that any fashion lover would adore! Open since 2000 Hala Vintage has garnered a steady following by established and emerging designers, stylists, and the general public. I was able to sit down and chat with Hala about her shop and her love of vintage!
Your originally from Louisiana. How did you end up in Jersey City?
Back in 2000 I moved to New York to pursue ballet. My first love has always been fashion, even as a young girl. Shortly after my arrival I quit dancing and began working as a visual merchandiser for a clothing store. I loved my job, but was laid off after September 11th. Finding a new job became extremely difficult, so I thought long and hard about what I really wanted to do. I thought to myself, well I really love vintage clothes and I've always wanted to start my own business so why not sell vintage clothes! That's kind of how things started.
Are there any specific era/s that you concentrate on carrying in the shop?
Usually the 1980's and earlier. Although I don't carry too much from the 80's and the few pieces I have are designer or have a very interesting visual appeal. Mostly 50's and 60's but as of lately I've been getting a lot of 40's which I love, absolutely one of my favorite decades.
How has the declining economic climate affected Hala Vintage?
The thing about a business like mine because of the location everything is pretty much word of mouth. My regular customers have sustained the business thus far, with a handful of newbies each year. Recently in my neighborhood I've witnessed so many businesses closing down, and sadly I never even had a chance to visit some. I'm very grateful for my customers, to still be thriving after 6 years is amazing!
Since opening Hala Vintage in 2002 do you feel that Vintage has become increasingly popular now vs. when you first started out?
Going green has become such a huge craze as well as the current economy, I feel people are more open to buying vintage. When I first opened, people from the neighborhood would come in looking perplexed because I was selling "used clothes". They genuinely had no idea what "vintage" was. Vintage has become very popular and trendy in the mainstream of fashion, which definitely is a plus for me.
Designers and Stylists are a large number of your clients. Being in such an unconventional location has not affected your reach with them?
Surprisingly I have never advertised my business to the trade at all. A lot of times stylists are filming TV shows or movies in the area and they find me online. Designers buy things for inspiration. They will buy pieces solely for a detail or because they like the fabric etc. I also sell at the Manhattan Vintage Show, and in the past Hell's Kitchen Market. I've garnered many long-lasting relationships from both.
What do you enjoy about selling vintage?
I really enjoy being my own boss. Its nice to watch my business grow and develop, I don't have the pressure of people telling me what to do. Its very organic and its doing something that I love. I'm passionate about vintage and I'm happy that I've yet to fall out of love with it. A lot of the pieces I find are from estate sales and have been kept in immaculate condition. People have held onto to these things for so long because they love them so much and can't imagine parting with them. That's what I enjoy the most about the brick and mortar store, seeing a customer find that one piece that they have to have and loving it just as much as the previous owner.
Are you ever weary of the growing competition in the vintage community?
You know I don’t ever feel competition with vintage, each store has something different. Some of my best friends own a vintage shop not too far from mines, and they’re success means so much to me. We both run our business very differently, but the one thing that we have in common is our love for the clothes. There's so much vintage still out there and its rare that you come across the same thing twice, so I think that’s why I don’t feel too competitive at all.
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