Halifax shop shows there is a place for pre-loved clothing on the runway

Pre-loved items make their way into closets and the catwalk.

Esmé & Evee’s owner Madeleine Esmé Villa is turning her dream into a statement at this years Halifax Fashion Week, just a month after opening her brick-and-mortar shop on Agricola Street.

Villa made her side hustle a full-time job by falling in love with the thrill of the find.

“I started this business as a hobby on the side on Instagram about four years ago,” Villa said. “Then I started doing pop-up events, and that’s where I really found a love for this. I loved interacting with people in person and talking with them about what they were looking for and just seeing them get excited about the same things I got excited about.

“So now flash forward about four-and-a-half years later, and I have my brick-and-mortar store here on Agricola Street.”

Esmé & Evee opened its doors to the public more than a month ago, and they are already seeing the success.

“This is actually my second time,” a shopper said. “I was here, actually last night with my mom, and I was like, ‘Mom, we gotta go,’ and she couldn’t get out of here.

“I found some really cute orange pants and sweater that has, like, embroidered flowers on it. It looks a lot more personal than just like any random sweater.”

The stigma around second-hand shopping seems to be changing, given the climates both financially and environmentally.

“I find it more sustainable. An affordable way to get clothing that’s going to last a while. And not just, like, tear after a few weeks,” said the shopper.

“It was kind of looked down upon or considered, you know, for certain people and not others. So, I think that a lot of these things have shifted,” said Villa. “Also coupled with the fact that when they say things just aren’t made the way they used to be, it does ring true. And then, of course, in combination with the fact that we are experience and climate change, and we are all actively, for the most part, trying to find ways in our own lives to help, and to be more mindful in our consumption. And the fashion industry is one of the most volatile industries in regard to climate change.”

Which is why Villa will be the spokesmodel for sustainability for Mills Fashion Week in Halifax, to show high fashion can be environmentally friendly.

“Halifax Fashion Week is just wanting to put a spotlight on that. So having a spokesmodel is imperative to just kind of help bring more attention to that and make it their focus,” Villa said. “And I think just having a runway show is to show that, you know, second-hand items do have the legs to stand on a runway.

“They should still be showed off. They should still be loved and showcased. So, my show is going to highlight vintage beauty of our garments and what we kind of stand to lose if we don’t think more critically about, how we consume, fashion and what we’re, you know, enabling when we do consume fast fashion.”

Plus, there is something to be said about the thrill of the hunt in vintage shopping.

“It kind of scratches that primal instinct of hunting and gathering,” said Villa. “And whether or not that scientifically true, I do think that that thrill of the find is really, really special and unique.

“There is something so beautiful about picking up something that has lived a life and knowing that it’s going to live in your life, too.”

Which goes hand in hand with what Villa is trying to give the public, even from the roots of the store’s name.

“Esmé is my middle name, but it stands for my grandparents first initials,” she said. “So E is for my Nonna Elide, S is for my Nonno Salvatore, M is for my Nonna Maria and E is for my Nonno Egidio. And if you couldn’t tell very Italian. They all immigrated here in the 50’s through Peir 21. Both my Nonna’s had worked as seamstresses in factories.

“So, it does feel like a bit of an homage to them. And Evee is my adorable pup, and I like alliteration.”

Villa continues to work in the community, putting on monthly Vintage markets where multiple vendors can come together under one roof. The August market just passed, but the next one will be Sept. 13.

And while Aug. 17 is international thrifting day, Villa is happy to say every day is thrifting day for her.

“This was always the dream. To have a shop. And it came a lot quicker than I ever expected it to.”

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page