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Walking down Murray Street in Squirrel Hill, it’s hard to miss the graffiti sign and purple LED lights leading down. City Vintage Steal. As customers descend the fern-covered staircase, they enter a shop filled with vintage clothing.
Thieves City Vintage features clothing from all decades as well as vintage toys, vinyl records and posters. After years of making vintage clothing part-time, owners Rob Schwoegl and DJ Lander finally decided to open a business in November of last year. The store’s prices range from $15 to $40 for t-shirts and sweatshirts to $60 to $90 for jeans, jackets and specialty items. Schwoggle and Lander say that in addition to selling clothing, their mission is to provide a way for people to participate in sustainable fashion.
Schwoegl said that opening a physical store allowed him to take inspiration from regular stores to grow.
“The initiative was community-oriented, not just for clothes, but other stores were growing that were like a hub where you could go,” Schwoegl said. “You can find everything there — you can find music, you can find out what’s going on, gossip, fashion, what’s up and coming in Pittsburgh — all street culture, graffiti, and I’ve always wanted something like that, as far as I’m concerned. can remember”
Lander, who has a background in graphic design, saw vintage fashion as an ideal transition from the crowded graphic design industry.
“Graphic design got saturated because of how many people were getting into that industry, so frugality became my outlet because graphic design is in the harvest,” Lander said. “I was obsessed with it because there were quality things already made.”
Schwoggle and Lander They met in 2020 through sourcing and reproduction, a close-knit but competitive community of people they both described as their passion for vintage fashion.
When deciding on a location for the store, the couple chose Squirrel Hill because of its uniqueness and popularity, Schwoegl said.
“Squirrel Hill is one of those communities that has it all. Everyone is here. Everyone is well represented, and there is fashion,” Schwoegl said. “People are never afraid to be themselves here. I feel like it’s a community where people feel safe, so that was important. It’s obviously great foot traffic, but the fashion sense and vintage shop demand and interest was already there.
Schwoggle and Lander wanted Stealth City Vintage to provide them with clothing from all decades. With Lander’s collection of clothes from all eras, the store can appeal to people with different fashion sensibilities.
“The mission was to offer all eras of clothing because most places you go to have only one place to sell them, and we wanted this to be a one-stop shop,” Lander said. “We want to provide a space for anyone who walks through the building, where every group of friends is looking for something.”
Tierney Cioppa, the sole employee at Stealth City Vintage, learned a lot about sustainability and vintage clothing from Schwoegl and Lander after she started working for them.
“I would say my knowledge of vintage clothing has improved while I’ve been here,” Ciopa said. “[Schwoegl and Lander] I have such a vast knowledge of everything that I don’t think I’ve even touched vintage clothing until I got here.
Schwoggle and Lander said the most rewarding part of owning a vintage store is promoting sustainable fashion and giving people clothes that aren’t mass-produced. According to Schwoggle, rare vintage clothing allows people to express their individuality.
“When people pick out a piece for themselves from a collection, they appreciate what they have more,” Schwoegl said. “Older pieces also come with something special. It’s clear that people like to have something that no one else has, and often, with a piece of junk, you can’t see someone wearing the same shirt in a bar or anywhere else.
Lander said to him, the most rewarding part of owning City of Thieves Vintage is working with Schwoegl and seeing people find clothing that they love.
“Seeing the facial reaction when someone is surprised by something they pick up is the best reward,” Lander said. hands”
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