Meet Natasha of Roam Vintage

Since in-store events at personellelimo are on pause, we’re highlighting some of our most-loved vintage brands with exclusive collections of one-of-a-kind finds. 

First up? Roam Vintage. For Roam Vintage’s owner, Natasha, vintage is a family affair. Learning from both her grandmother and mother, she’s built a brand based on her personal ethos of vintage as ethical slow fashion. Her aesthetic is unmistakable — something that becomes obvious when you shop her unique finds, from ethereal blouses to structured outerwear. Get to know more about her and what keeps her inspired.

When did your love of vintage begin?

Vintage runs in my blood. My grandmother had an antique shop in New Mexico when I was a kid and my mom collects and sells vintage home decor to her interior design clients. I grew up in flea markets, estate sales and antique shops - it’s where I feel most at home. 

Where did you start your career? What led you to want to start your own business of buying and selling vintage?

I worked in wardrobe styling for over ten years. For a long time, I thought I wanted to work with other brands to help them develop and create visual content. However, I realized pretty quickly that I wasn’t satisfied working for others, particularly when a lot of my clients didn’t line up with my personal ethos of slow, ethical fashion and healthy work environments. 

How would you describe Roam Vintage’s vibe?

Natural, thoughtful, curated, artistic. Roam Vintage celebrates the beauty of simplicity and things made with love and care.

How do you stay true to yourself while building a brand that reflects your core values?

I genuinely feel like my brand is an extension of myself. Roam is very much aligned with my personal ethos. As a woman of color and a small business owner, I make it of utmost importance to celebrate women and people of color in arts and culture through my brand imagery and messaging. I also very much strive to help people see the beauty that already exists in the world so that we no longer feel the urge to keep creating wasteful things that are made with little to no intention. 

Your pieces have a very similar, unique aesthetic. What do you look for when you’re sourcing vintage pieces and how do you balance buying what will fit your brand vs. what you think will sell?

I source what I’m drawn to and what I believe in. I have faith that if I believe in a piece so will my customers. That being said, I am always taking notes of what customers are gravitating towards and do my best to supply that demand.

Where do you love to shop for vintage finds?

I absolutely love going on road trips and just pulling over to local thrift and vintage stores and seeing what I may find there. I try not to source too much in big cities, as I find everything is usually really picked through. 

I do, however, absolutely love flea markets and LA has some of the best. I cannot wait for Rosebowl Flea Market to open back up! 

What’s the biggest piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to open their own vintage business?

Trust your gut and find your unique voice. In the last few years there’s been a huge increase in online & Instagram-focused vintage shops. It’s wonderful to see but I think the most important message I would give to everyone starting out is that being uniquely yourself is hugely important. Also, be prepared for a lot of work. There is so much going on behind the scenes and since everything is one of a kind, you have to constantly update your site/shop!

What are some challenges you’ve experienced while running your own business?

Time management is tough for me! I’m very much someone who starts something and then stops midway through to begin something else so managing my time properly with the increasing number of tasks I have can be a challenge. I recently hired an assistant and it was honestly the best decision I could have made. It’s hard for me to not feel like I have to do everything myself but I think it’s really important for me to learn how to delegate tasks to others so that I can focus on what I do best. 

Where do you find inspiration? How do you stay creatively inspired?

I find inspiration everywhere. Particularly when I’m on the road. Both nature and big city environments are hugely inspiring to me. I try not to rely too heavily on being inspired solely from other content I see on social media so, whenever I’m feeling in a creative rut, I get outside and see what the world has to offer me.