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
