Meet the Woman Behind This Cult Brooklyn Vintage Shop
A chat with Awoke Vintage founder Liz Powers: "When I first opened, some people would walk in and be disgusted by the concept of secondhand."
I discovered Awoke Vintage in 2016 while gallivanting around Williamsburg. Gentrification was well underway, but the neighborhood was still affordable. Rent-stabilized buildings and mom-and-pop shops stood alongside Starbucks and mid-priced clothing retailers, turning the neighborhood into a hip hangout spot and eclectic shopping destination. Browsing Awoke Vintage felt like an invitation to discover unknown brands and colorful retro fashion. I especially liked their denim and eyewear collection; I still have pieces from back then in my closet. I connected with the founder Elizabeth Powers shortly after, and it’s been incredible to watch her mini vintage empire grow over the years. When she opened her first store in 2012, people weren’t so open to the idea of buying pre-loved clothes. I’ll confess that I once belonged to that group.
Shopping secondhand clothes did not seem like an ethical choice when I was growing up in Haiti. We used to call them pèpè (a pejorative term) as they were mostly low-quality items sent from the United States. These exports posed a threat to Haiti’s textile industry, one that my parents were invested in as they frequently commissioned local tailors and seamstresses for special-occasion looks. Thus my perception of secondhand fashion as inferior. But in retrospect, my thinking was one-dimensional. Moving to New York has ironically expanded my view of the apparel resale market. I realized that while secondhand clothing is often synonymous with fast fashion in African/Caribbean countries, there is a history of good-quality hand-me-downs in the West.
Awoke Vintage is setting the example with its thoughtful and sustainably-minded curation priced at an accessible range. Ahead, Liz and I chat about the resale market boom, running a brick-and-mortar store, and her favorite vintage shops in New York.
How did you get your start in selling vintage?
I started in my small hometown of Perth, Australia. I had a little market stall at my college selling vintage. Along with the vintage markets, I worked two jobs (desk job + stocking supermarket shelves at night) so that I could save up and move to New York. In 2012, I moved to Brooklyn and opened my first brick-and-mortar store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (I had no clue what I was doing and just kind of made it up as I went).
I was fortunate to meet my now business partner Rachel [Despeaux] when she started working at the store in 2014. At the time Rachel was studying Occupational Therapy, but after a short stint of working in the field, decided it wasn’t for her so she came on as our Operations Director. Rachel is amazing - she does everything from sourcing incredible vintage to unclogging a sink in our old prewar building! Fast forward, we are now business partners and great friends. The type of friends who voice memo each other 30 times a day!
Awoke wouldn’t be what it is today let alone have been able to survive the past 12 years without all the incredible staff that we have been so fortunate to work with, past and present. We have such a great team and some very memorable holiday parties!
What was your professional background prior to launching the brand?
After I graduated I worked for a music festival company in Perth. We were in charge of touring bands that came to Australia. It was fun, and I worked with some great people! I never worked in fashion or retail, I was a bit naive when I opened the store - it was a lot of making it up as I went along!
How has the demand for vintage evolved since the pandemic? And how has your business grown since opening your first shop in 2012?