The Painted Bird, located at 1201A Guerrero St. in San Francisco, is one of many independent buy-sell-trade stores carrying everything from vintage frocks to designer denim. Voted "Best Bang for your Buck Vintage" by 7X7 magazine last year, they offer 35% cash or 55% trade, which is 5% more trade than most stores give. The Painted Bird also offers original, and often times recycled designs by local jewelry and apparel designers, making it one of the most unique vintage stores in the area. Grooveeffect managed to get a few minutes with owner, Nate Archer to answer some of our most pressing questions about inspiration and the popular vintage clothing industry.
What inspired you guys to open Painted Bird, and what, if any, is your business background?
Sunny used to work at a Buy Sell Trade shop in Santa Cruz. She also went to F.I.D.M. in San Francisco and learned fashion design. Right after 9/11 we moved to New York City and both got jobs working for Beacon's Closet, a massive vintage store in Brooklyn. It was there that I think we picked up the nuances of running a business with lots of excellent training and advice from Carrie and the two Cindy's who own and operate Beacon's Closet. Carrie was definitely an inspiration for us, we learned a lot. The east coast lifestyle started to drain us though so we packed everything up in a van and headed back west, thrifting along the way. The success of Beacon's Closet and the way Carrie ran the place definitely inspired us to open our own store.
Where do you get the clothing that you sell in the store?
We buy from the public and also go out on thrifting trips but if we told you about that we'd have to kill you. Competition's getting Fierce! Just kidding. Google 'thrift store', pick a town, any town. See what comes up. We have driven through the nether regions of America in search of the goods but California seems to consistently yield the gems.
What is your first memory of being drawn to vintage clothing?
Getting into underground music pushed us in the vintage direction. We're both from Santa Cruz and our earliest vintage memories usually involve sifting through the massive piles of clothing by the pound at the Bargain Barn or trolling for whacked out stuff at the now defunct Skyview Drive In Flea Market.
What is your favorite era of clothing design, and why?
I don't think we can nail down one particular decade. We have found amazing stuff from many different eras. Its like art or music or film. 2001 came out in 1969...The Dark Crystal in 1982...Jurassic Park in 1993...
How do you see the vintage market growing as a trend in San Francisco, and
where do you see it moving from here?
I think vintage is blowing up everywhere. Someone told me wearing vintage these days is like buying clothes at the Gap ten years ago, totally ubiquitous. San Francisco has always been the place for vintage, I have fond teen memories of cruising up to the city from Santa Cruz to shop for stuff on Haight. The definition of what desirable vintage is changes so rapidly. There are different waves of vintage and certain styles and looks are emerging while others recede. Some looks become such giant waves that the mainstream catches on and you see cats wearing 'vintage' in car commercials or
advertisements for Great America. San Francisco is an awesome city because you
can see a lot of experimentation and wildness in peoples personal style. I see the vintage market moving in many directions.
Do you see a lot of amazing clothes come through the store that you can't bear to sell? If so, how has your own vintage closet grown, and what does it look like?
Yes and Yes! We have found items before that have totally twisted my mind into a spiral. Occasionally we come across something so outrageous that I simultaneously laugh, cringe, giggle, leap ecstatically and fall into grief all at the same time. America is big and wild in our lives an infinitely sided beast and when we find a piece of clothing that reveals a past time most have forgotten the flood of memories and knowledge that clothing induces can be ecstatic. Our closets are overflowing with wild clothes.
Who are some of your favorite local designers?
Wwe like Machine, Cristalette, all the people who make cute jewels and sell them in our store. SF has a lot of rad designers but we need more!
What is your favorite thing about running Painted Bird?
Not having to work for anyone else. The travel. The friends we've met through the store. The dollars!
Visit paintedbird.org for more info.
