This month, we caught up with Meg and Keith, the owners of Bon Voyage Vintage. The pair have been buying and selling vintage for over 20 years. They opened their first brick-and-mortar shop in 2009. Located in the heart of Pioneer Square in Seattle, Bon Voyage is filled with vintage clothing from the 1950s-1990s and carries local designers as well as handmade items.
Tell us what you enjoy about the Pioneer Square neighborhood, and what made you choose to open Bon Voyage Vintage here in 2009?
There are so many things we love about Pioneer Square! We enjoy the community so very much. After being open almost 12 years now in the Square, we have had the luck of getting to know so many of our amazing neighbors that live and work in the neighborhood that have all become great friends.
We chose to open our shop here back in 2009 because of our friend Joanna who owned an old time photo studio called Klondike Penny’s. She had an empty retail space next to her. She suggested that we look at it. It had been sitting empty for years before we moved in. The rest is history! We ended up expanding and taking over the space that used to be Klondike Penny’s about seven or eight years ago and doubled in size.
It definitely seemed like a huge risk at the time. There was not much going on in the the neighborhood then. It was at a very low point with mostly all empty retail spaces. The first few years were extremely slow and quiet at the shop and in the Square. Plenty of zero dollar days in those early years! Luckily things started growing and picking up neighborhood a few years later.
Can you take us through the journey of how Bon Voyage Vintage came to be?
Wow! That is a long journey! We started selling on the street before pop-ups were a thing in Seattle back in 2007. We started out by renting out empty parking lots on Capitol Hill and creating our own outdoor market every weekend for years and years! We also did a ton of flea markets regularly. When we opened the shop, we literally had $500 in the bank. We took a huge risk and followed our hearts. It’s been a long journey, with a lot of hard work and determination!
How would you describe your business and what do you think makes it unique?
We would describe our shop as a fun mom-and-pop shop that features over 40 local artists and local makers, designers, and creators. We host an artist every month for First Thursday Artwalk – a destination spot. Small enough to say hi to everyone that walks in the door and make people feel at home.
In recent years, vintage shopping has gained immense popularity – especially with younger demographics. Why do you think there’s been this shift towards vintage and secondhand over traditional retail?
We think there are a lot of reasons but to name a few: vintage clothing is better quality, the influence of social media, trends, it’s less expensive, and it’s more unique. Younger demographics are starting to realize how bad fast fashion is for our planet and oceans. Keith probably sold your mom her favorite dress twenty years ago and she still has it in her closet. We like to keep the circle of thrift alive!
What are some style trends that you are noticing come into fashion at the moment?
It’s hard to pin down one certain thing as it changes so fast. This might freak you out it but Y2K is a major trend right now and it’s considered vintage! The times have changed. We still love the staples that are always in style and in demand. True vintage is a lot harder to find now, especially clothing from the 20s-50s and vintage tour shirts! They are hard to find as there weren’t as many produced. So once they are gone, they’re gone!
Vintage will always appeal to someone. It will stay in style. There will always be someone that has never bought secondhand clothing that finds vintage and it’s all they want to wear!