HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The North Alabama vintage community came out in full force Saturday to John Hunt Park for Huntsville’s Downtown Vintage Market.
The market is put on by Anna Rojas and Caleb Shaw, co-owners of One Man’s Vintage. Rojas and Shaw said their love for selling vintage pieces started online, before leading them to open up a storefront.
Now, One Man’s Vintage is a thriving part of the Huntsville thrifting scene. The co-owners point to sustainability and nostalgia as the key to their success.
“I think it’s always been nostalgia,” Shaw said. “Especially as our generation is starting to grow up, we yearn for a simpler time. These pieces are original, so you’re not going out and buying fast fashion from the mall brands that produce thousands of pieces, billions of pieces of textile waste. You’re getting a piece that was made in the 80s and 90s and it’s still in good condition.”
November’s market was a special one, in collaboration with the Huntsville Sports Commission and the 2024 AVCA Beach Volleyball National Championships. With vendors set up adjacent to the courts, it lets shoppers cheer on top volleyball teams in between purchases.
The event was sponsored by Unclaimed Baggage, a popular lost luggage store in Scottsboro that draws crowds from across the country.
“This crowd is amazing, because it really brings all sorts of audiences,” Unclaimed Baggage marketing specialist Shannon Gillman said. “From families to young adults, it brings them all together to these markets and we can all appreciate historic things, vintage things that we’ve grown and have been passed down.”
Lorna Roberts is a local vendor and owner of Blackpine Vintage Boutique in Huntsville. She grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands and said Caribbean culture plays a major part in her own personal style.
“I love color, I love bold prints, I love unique pieces,” Roberts said. “I’m a therapist by profession and I personally believe that there’s more to style and fashion than just clothes. There’s power in clothes.”
To find more information on One Man’s Vintage and be the first to know when the next market is, click here.
