Great Gardenia - Luana Futuro

Browsing Luanna Futuro’s vintage clothing and antique shop, the Great Gardenia, it’s hard not to fall in love with the exquisite materials and styles that make up her collection. Born in Colombia, Luanna is drawn to antiques from Latin America, of any decade pre-1990s. She describes her favorite style as luxury bohemian. 

Her favorite era of vintage is from the 1920s-40s, particularly romantic women’s wear, featuring silk slips, leather bustiers, and beaded accessories. Drawn to non-synthetic materials, you’ll find an abundance of cotton, silk, linen, and leather. 

Scrolling through her Etsy shop, a Sacred Italian Lucite Fan immediately caught my eye, with an incredible 1950s Leather Fishermans Cap for sale beneath it, and Victorian accessories that would make anyone feel royal. The intentionality and care that goes into her store is clear. 

The high-quality materials of her collection attest to Luanna’s strong beliefs in slow fashion, better-quality clothing that lasts longer.

Closely related to the slow food movement, slow fashion is a sustainable approach to fashion that values fair treatment of the earth, animals, and people. 

The term “slow fashion” was first coined by Kate Fletcher after the slow food movement arose. The detriment and waste caused by the fast fashion industry is vast, and Fletcher recognized the need to slow down its unruly pace.

 Around 20 years ago the fashion industry began moving at unprecedented speeds with brands like H&M, Zara, and Forever21 using sweatshop labor and cheap materials to produce low-quality clothing. The idea of fast fashion is often thought of as a new concept because of the way it took off in the 90s and early 2000s. But the speed at which trends move has been gaining momentum since the 1960s.

Slow fashion values materials that are locally sourced and styles that remain more consistent. Luanna’s shop is an excellent example of this, comprised of good quality materials and thoughtful fashion. It’s important to her to take care of the earth, and shopping vintage and secondhand is one way of limiting waste. She explains,” If you take care of these fabrics they will take care of you as well.” She described her aversion to fast fashion, which, “feels like a costume to me while vintage offers something more unique. I enjoyed that I had something no one else had.” 

Before the Great Gardenia, Luanna was a bar manager and attended school for fashion design. She has been collecting vintage and antiques for 15 years, and began selling them independently 7 years ago. She stated, “This is my full-time job and I am fortunate to be able to do what I love. I have always been drawn to things that have a history. I love old homes, old clothing, old furniture, and older people because they carry such wisdom.” The history of each item and the history of her heritage are showcased through her collection.

“My favorite vintage item I ever found was a Mexican embroidered Huipil from the 1920s. The handwork was exquisite and it had this tiny delicate ribbon detail that was very special to me.”

One challenge when selling vintage or antique goods is wear and repairs. Luanna faces these issues with the help of her keen sense of smell. “I pride myself in being able to get rid of any unpleasant odors (smoke, mildew, etc...) As an example I found an incredible cashmere sweater in mint condition that unfortunately smelled like an ashtray.” Her secret? “I put the sweater in a giant ziplock bag with 3 odorless dryer sheets one with 5 drops of tea tree oil, one with five drops of lavender oil and one with a spritz of your favorite perfume on it. I let it sit for 3-7 days. Voila! It smelled fresh and delightful when it emerged.”

The current COVID-19 crisis has proved to be an unprecedented time for small business owners. Luanna and vintage sellers like her are unable to vend at pop ups or stock their stores. Still, she has kept busy rethinking former business decisions, repairing clothing, organizing her work space, and elevating the store’s online presence. Soon, she’ll be adding her own handmade jewelry to her Etsy shop. 

And even in times of crisis, her commitment to others has not wearied. She explained that some of her current priorities include sewing masks, donations to local food banks and continuing to have a positive impact on the environment. “I remain committed to supporting small businesses in my neighborhood. It can really make a difference.”

Shop Luanna’s Etsy shop here-- https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheGreatGardenia

Use the code “LIBERTY” for 30% off everything in the Etsy store!

Follow Great Gardenia on Instagram) - @thegreatgardenia

Gift Certificates -- https://squareup.com/gift/7KHQ2EM8WFP92/order

Amazing Essence- Adrienne McGill

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Today’s Liberty Flea vendor feature is on Adrienne McGill, and her business Amazing Essence. Since 2010, Adrienne wanted to be an entrepreneur. After years of working at hospitals in the Philadelphia area, one night the idea of a natural fragrance brand Amazing Essence came to her in a dream. With much ambition and hard work, she has cultivated her natural product brand into what it is today. 

Adrienne started her business hand making soy wax candles, wax melts, linen sprays, and rollerball perfumes with essential oils in October of 2017. Entirely owned and operated by a one-woman team, Adrienne has created vegan and eco-friendly products that tantalize the senses. She hand selects the fragrances for her customers needs and steers clear of any phthalates or additives. In addition to making all of the products herself, all of the Amazing Essence product labels are designed and printed by Adrienne.

So far Adrienne has seen great success! Amazing Essence has a fragrance for everyone, entirely natural and expertly crafted. Some candle scents available include a Healing fragrance made with grapefruit and turmeric, a balance fragrance made with sage, and an uplifting fragrance made with lemon. She also makes herbal scented candles, including an herbaceous lavender and velvet petals made with dried rose petals. Linen sprays include spearmint, peppermint, bergamont, citrus zest, orchard crisp, and tropical paradise.

According to Adrienne, her biggest challenge is marketing in a highly competitive natural goods market. But a visit to her website is as soothing as the products themselves, with images that transport the customer into a den of relaxation and serenity. 

Adrienne noted one of her favorite products as the 4oz linen spray with essential oils, her go-to cure after a long, exhausting week. In a time of uncertainty,

Adrienne noted one of her favorite products as the 4oz linen spray with essential oils, her go-to cure after a long, exhausting week. In a time of uncertainty,

The current circumstances have impacted almost every small business-owner, and Adrienne is no exception. Flea markets like Liberty Flea generate 75% of her sales, but all of her products are also available online at her website amazingessenceonline.com . Despite her amazing website, Adrienne really enjoys vending at flea markets, where she’s able to meet customers face-to-face, build a network with other vendors, brand within the local community, and conduct market research on quality and pricing. 

Despite the current challenges, Adrienne is steadfast in ambition, seeing the future of Amazing Essence as a household brand known around the world.

Want to try out some Amazing Essences to enhance your days at home? Get free shipping on all orders or purchase a gift card for future shopping convenience! No code necessary

freshvintage- Chris and Colleen Allison

Here’s freshvintage and their setup from a past edition of Liberty Flea! Shop with them online at their Etsy Store Here!

Here’s freshvintage and their setup from a past edition of Liberty Flea! Shop with them online at their Etsy Store Here!

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1890 Amphibians German Chromolithograph

Chris and Colleen have been selling antiques and vintage since 2002. Browsing their shop, you’ll find pre-1900 medical and animal prints, lithographs, beer signs, typewriters, cameras, and maps from local counties and townships in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Chester, New Jersey, and Bucks. Some of their favorite finds include old U.S. maps, card catalogues, and medical cabinets.

Raised by teachers, Chris grew up surrounded by the antiques his parents bought and sold on the side. But his path veered elsewhere before he began selling antiques.

 

Attending Central Washington University, he received his recreation Management degree. From there, he began working in the recreation field as a coordinator/director and adventure ropes course instructor at the Naval Base in Everett, Washington, St. Gabriel’s Hall in trooper, and the Seabrook House in South Jersey.

Chris and his wife Colleen began buying and selling antiques on the side, vending  their first flea market in 2002. After being laid off in 2009, selling antiques became a full time job for Chris. In a business that requires dedication and persistence, he spends his days at estate sales, flea markets, and watching auctions for more inventory. 

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Italian Beach Painting

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1879 Ocean Grove, New Jersey Shore

While there are plenty more flea markets than there were when freshvintage first took off, it both helps and hurts their business, providing more places to sell. But as more markets are held, Chris noted his worry of oversaturating customers. 

In the past, the Allison’s didn’t focus their attention on online sales. But in the past three years, they have ramped up their presence on Etsy where sales have increased year after year. On their website you’ll find their Etsy shop, as well as a list of items they are always looking to buy. Their current shop is in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

Check out freshvintage here! Use code LIBERTYFLEA at checkout for 15% off your order!

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1879 Monmouth Beach Atlas Map