In Midtown, there’s no shortage of places to eat or drink. But there’s about 15 places to shop, Mary Capicchioni says, with “half being gender specific or unaffordable.”
That’s why she’s opening Old Soul Vintage in mid-February at the corner of Cass and Martin Luther King. The business was one of 10 semifinalists in the most recent Hatch Detroit Contest. While the business didn’t make the final round, she has worked since then to open the store because she’s on a mission.
“I’m here to provide a positive retail impact in the community,” she says of her shop, which combines all of her passions for history, culture, and sustainability under one roof.
Old Soul Vintage was born in San Diego in 2014 where Capicchioni was living at the time. She was interested in fashion but didn’t know what to do so she started her own online business that drew upon her youth exploring her grandmother’s “treasures” in her east-side Detroit home as well as listening to legendary rock musicians such as Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. She also grew up with three brothers who “cemented” her love for hockey, skateboarding, and punk and rap music.
“I took inspiration from my family and my love for history, especially the counterculture 1960s, and I decided to open up a vintage shop right then and there at my apartment. And it has grown. I took the leap and moved from San Diego back to Detroit because I saw the opportunity here in which I could grow my business.”
With Old Soul Vintage, Capicchioni aims to be more than a place to buy timeless, one-of-a-kind fashion and accessories; her vision is to make it a community-oriented and collaborative space.
In addition to the vintage clothing and accessories circa the 1900s-1990s that she curates from sources like private sales, she will also have about 15 other businesses including vintage retailers, candle makers, and artists in her shop working on a consignment or wholesale basis.
“It’s going to be a collaborative, affordable space,” says the 25-year-old North End resident.
Since 2014, the business has donated a portion of sales to charities; for the grand opening next month, Old Soul Vintage will donate to Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.
In November, she organized the second annual For the Girls fundraiser, which raised more than $2,000 and gathered feminine products for homeless women and girls.
“We're just really passionate about the city and we want to give back,” she says.
Old Soul Vintage is located at 3627 Cass Ave. For more information, go to shopoldsoulvintage.com or check out the crowdfunding campaign on Go Fund Me.
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