Rehab Vintage

The address 154A Main Street, Kent, Ohio, may not mean a lot to you, but maybe it should. In the heart of downtown Kent, in the new Acorn Alley, sits a little vintage shop by the name of Rehab Vintage. This store contains many unique, vintage and even some one-of-a-kind pieces. Their pieces are just as unique as their monthly music and art festivals! This is not your average second-hand clothing shop!

As I was speaking with one the owners of Rehab Vintage, Devon Snedden, it was obvious that she and her partner, Jessica Wheeler, have a great love for vintage clothing. Both of the owners have very busy schedules, but Devon was nice enough to take some time to answer some questions about Rehab Vintage.

When did you open?
We opened at the end of August 2009. We are right near the popular store Figleaf

Is there any specific reason that you chose to open in Acorn Alley in Kent?
Absolutely. We are more of an upscale vintage store. We wanted to have a relationship with the trendy fashion students from one of the best fashion schools in the country. We have monthly art shows and music festivals in downtown Kent. We also like to focus on certain student designers from the school, and we do offer internships for Kent State fashion students.

How did you get started?
Jessica and I are really big vintage fans, and Jessica was an accountant but was tired of being in an office all day. She was searching the internet one night and called me - literally woke me up - and said, "I know what I want to do with my life!" She said she wanted to open a vintage clothing store.

Are your customers only Kent State students?
No, we have a lot of people that come from Akron and even Cleveland. We have students, professors and lots of different people who come in. Most of the customers who come in are in their mid- to late twenties, but we have a large array of people for the most part. 

Where do you see your company going? Are there any plans of expanding?
There are already plans in the making of expanding somewhere warm. The only problem with that is, we have a great collection, and it will be hard to decide what pieces belong at which store. Rehab Vintage is also planning on doing some on-line sales. This is a little bit harder since some of the pieces are unique but we are working with a computer graphics designer and will have a website up soon. 

What types of pieces do you sell?
We sell vintage pieces, which is anything 1980s or earlier or just any really cool piece. If is a great concert tee from the 1990s, it is not necessarily disregarded. We sell men’s and women’s pieces. We also have a variety of handmade accessories and handbags. 

Where do your pieces come from?
Jessica has a talent for spotting great vintage pieces. We do a lot of work with up-cycling designers and sometimes have designers remake, or redesign a piece of clothing. We are more of a vintage boutique shop and most of our pieces are very individual or redesigned. 

Rehab Vintage is not a consignment store, and that cannot be stressed enough. The only way to know and understand the pieces they carry is to check them out in person. And if you have an extra love for art and music, check them out at one of their monthly art and music festivals!

Thursday, July 8, 2010