Shop Feature: veinofgoldpdx

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you based? How do you spend your days?

I’ve been based in Portland since 2007, almost 20 years! In my heart, though, I’m still a Bay Area kid. For the past four years, I’ve spent most of my days working on my brick-and-mortar consignment shop, Vein of Gold. Thanks to my incredible team at the shop, I’ve also had the opportunity to travel a lot! When I’m in town, I like to take long vigorous walks with my pals, mill around my yard, and plan backpacking trips with my husband.

How did you hear about Noihsaf Bazaar / when did you become a part of the community?

I can’t quite remember when I started following Noihsaf on Instagram, but it was before Covid! Vein of Gold became solidly embedded in the Noihsaf community this winter when Kate and the Noihsaf team came out for their first Portland event. My shop and I had a very fun time participating in their sale!

Recently, we started an account on Noihsaf as an experiment. We are a consignment shop, so we end up with hundreds of pounds of clothes each year that don’t sell in the shop, and aren’t picked up by their owners. Currently, all of those unclaimed clothes are donated to local non-profits and our Department of Human Services. Often, it’s great stuff that has good resale value, but for whatever reason, just didn’t sell at the shop. I've been thinking about how we could have more impact in giving back to the community, and a solution that addressed both challenges came to me.

We have started collecting “donated” pieces that we think would fit the Noihsaf vibe and have been posting a few pieces each week as time allows and earmarking the profits (after our costs) for a monetary donation to a local non-profit. From my perspective, once a pair of Jesse Kamm pants gets donated, they simply become another item in the non-profit’s closet. However, if we can sell them through Noihsaf and make a little money on them, whatever we donate from that sale will likely have a bigger impact than just the pants themselves. We are still figuring things out, but I think the idea has legs!

What is your favorite Noihsaf score?

Just last week, I nearly impulse bought a sleeveless sweater on the Babaà website that I’d been wanting for a few years. I’d been having trouble finding great tank tops this summer and I knew that a knit would be perfect. Before I hit purchase, though, I did a quick search on Noihsaf and found exactly what I was looking for! I’m actually wearing the sweater right now, and it’s great.

How would you describe your personal style? Do you have any style inspirations that you return to?

This is a tough one for me! I think my eternal style is kind of a high/low classic look. A little Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, a little Diane Keaton, a dash of Tilda Swinton, some Alexa Chung. I wouldn't call my style preppy, but I sure am drawn to structured pieces, classic patterns (but not prints!), and clean lines. If I’m dressed up, it’s sometimes with a well-worn white canvas sneaker. Textiles are a big deal for me- I like them natural. I love the crispness of cotton poplin and the feeling of raw silk and vintage linen.

Do you have any designers/brands that you’re especially into these days?

I’m not so great at following brands (or bands, or sports). But there are definitely designers that cross my path at the shop that I always oooh and ahh over! For staple pieces, I like Cordera, Caron Callahan, Ichi Antiques, Rachel Comey… I am always on the lookout for the perfect vintage 501’s to stock up on. There are some pieces in my closet that I’ve held on to for dressier occasions, which I have worn over and over and I still love them, which is a big deal! Great silk dresses by Apuntob and Anntian, a sexy, structured black dress by GANNI, a gorgeous formal linen dress by Mexican designer Yakampot. My friend and I just threw a huge party at our friend’s house at the beach…. Our theme was vintage IBIZA, and I wore a classy tomato red caftan-y dress from Rodebjer that really fit the bill.

What trend are you currently loving, or what trend would you like to see?

I’m going to skip talking about fashion trends, and instead look at buying trends! I love that buying secondhand clothes is becoming more mainstream. I think people are really catching on to the fact that there are SO MANY CLOTHES that already exist in this world and that they can really do without shopping new. However, I would love it if the media caught on to this in-between space of small, local resale shops. So often, I hear stories in the news about the uptick in the resale economy and sustainability, but they either talk about giant corporate online resale platforms or they talk about going to your local thrift or vintage store. They don’t really talk about the space that small businesses like Noihsaf or Vein of Gold occupy, who feature sustainable, independent brands and I think they are really missing an important piece of the puzzle.

Favorite song to play when getting dressed?

Well, I only listen to the radio in my car when I’m driving around town, and Whitney Houston’s “Queen of the Night” came on the other day, which is a real slam dunk.

Thanks Rebekah! 👋 You can shop more great finds in the veinofgoldpdx Noihsaf shop and check out Vein of Gold at their Portland store or online!