How did you decide to start Groovy Garage?
From a love of clothing and vintage! I took a lot of inspiration from Wavey Garms when I used to get the train down to London to visit their little shop in Peckham Arcade. I’d basically spend all my money there and took inspiration from their socials, think old Moschino shirts, I thought it was so cool and wanted a slice of that.
As I don’t live near London, the closest place to shop vintage was Leicester which was a 20-minute train ride away. I would take my money and visit the vintage stores there and thought how fun it would be to start my own one.
In The Booth W/ Groovy Garage
You probably stopped scrolling Vinted to read this post, right? Thrifting your own curated wardrobe of vintage fits is everyone’s favourite hobby - but sourcing one-of-a-kind finds is all Groovy Garage has ever known. What started in a bedroom in Kettering has now grown into a go-to destination for globally sourced archive collections and concession stores in Urban Outfitters Bath, Nottingham and Southampton. What does it take to actually work in a vintage store? We caught up with founder Jack Tavener to find out how it all came together.
“I thought it was so cool and wanted a slice of that.”
Where did the name Groovy Garage come from?
The name’s from what we called the converted garage at my parents’ house. Me and my mates would chill and hang out in the “ganja garage” because we were doing stupid things.. and then I took it from that and called it Groovy Garage. The garage is still there at my parents’ house, but it doesn’t look like it used to.
How do you source these timeless pieces? Is there a process or is it instinctive?
It’s instinctive. There’s no set place to just order 50 of a certain t-shirt. These are unique vintage pieces that don’t turn up everywhere, which is the fun and the addictive part! We source a lot from textile and rag factories in England and around the world. I’ve travelled to the Middle East, Thailand, France, Spain and Italy - I once drove a transit van from England to Italy, filled it up, stopped in France for more, and drove it home. We also have suppliers in England which helps us turn over stock quickly.
Where did the name Groovy Garage come from?
The name’s from what we called the converted garage at my parents’ house. Me and my mates would chill and hang out in the “ganja garage” because we were doing stupid things.. and then I took it from that and called it Groovy Garage. The garage is still there at my parents’ house, but it doesn’t look like it used to.
How do you source these timeless pieces? Is there a process or is it instinctive?
It’s instinctive. There’s no set place to just order 50 of a certain t-shirt. These are unique vintage pieces that don’t turn up everywhere, which is the fun and the addictive part! We source a lot from textile and rag factories in England and around the world. I’ve travelled to the Middle East, Thailand, France, Spain and Italy - I once drove a transit van from England to Italy, filled it up, stopped in France for more, and drove it home. We also have suppliers in England which helps us turn over stock quickly.
“I’ve travelled to the Middle East, Thailand, France, Spain and Italy”
What’s the most special or unexpected piece you’ve ever found?
A few stick out. I found a 1992 Chanel blazer worn by Claudia Schiffer on a runway. I found it in Italy about four or five years ago, and sold it for £2,000 on eBay but that’s a once-in-a-blue-moon find. Another piece I have is from the first-ever 1984 Stone Island Marina collection - I found that in Italy too. I’m not going to sell it, but in today’s market it might be worth around £1,500 to £2,000 to a collector.
How do you keep your brand feeling fresh when you’re working with pieces from the past?
To keep it fresh, I always stick to buying timeless brands that never go out of fashion. That’s worked well because those brands don’t really have a shelf life, unlike hyped-up Instagram brands that fade after six or twelve months. The big timeless brands also have massive marketing power to stay relevant and two seasons ahead, so by stocking them, we live off their brand image.
What’s the most special or unexpected piece you’ve ever found?
A few stick out. I found a 1992 Chanel blazer worn by Claudia Schiffer on a runway. I found it in Italy about four or five years ago, and sold it for £2,000 on eBay but that’s a once-in-a-blue-moon find. Another piece I have is from the first-ever 1984 Stone Island Marina collection - I found that in Italy too. I’m not going to sell it, but in today’s market it might be worth around £1,500 to £2,000 to a collector.
How do you keep your brand feeling fresh when you’re working with pieces from the past?
To keep it fresh, I always stick to buying timeless brands that never go out of fashion. That’s worked well because those brands don’t really have a shelf life, unlike hyped-up Instagram brands that fade after six or twelve months. The big timeless brands also have massive marketing power to stay relevant and two seasons ahead, so by stocking them, we live off their brand image.
What do you think draws people to vintage right now? Why do you think it resonates so strongly with younger generations?
I feel like the world is encouraging people to shop secondhand, especially after COVID, instead of buying a new outfit every week. Also, youngsters come into stores and want to wear styles that resemble what their dads wore. We see people getting excited when they realise their parents used to own something similar. For instance, we recently sold an early 00s Miss Sixty jacket, which older generations used to find really cool. Paul Frank also does really well for us. When I was younger, I had people who looked after me and owned a fashion store. I hung around their shop a lot when I was a kid, and they were selling brands like Miss Sixty and Paul Frank back in the day. That’s how I know all about these brands now.
What advice do you have for anyone reading who might be interested in becoming a vintage reseller?
My advice is to go for it and take a risk. Visit pop-ups, do car boots, put yourself around vintage situations, go to Brick Lane, network and chat with people. When I started out, I went to a Depop seller’s pop-up, got friendly with them and bought their leftover stock. Just hanging around the scene really helps you learn.
I feel like the world is encouraging people to shop secondhand, especially after COVID, instead of buying a new outfit every week. Also, youngsters come into stores and want to wear styles that resemble what their dads wore. We see people getting excited when they realise their parents used to own something similar. For instance, we recently sold an early 00s Miss Sixty jacket, which older generations used to find really cool. Paul Frank also does really well for us. When I was younger, I had people who looked after me and owned a fashion store. I hung around their shop a lot when I was a kid, and they were selling brands like Miss Sixty and Paul Frank back in the day. That’s how I know all about these brands now.
What advice do you have for anyone reading who might be interested in becoming a vintage reseller?
My advice is to go for it and take a risk. Visit pop-ups, do car boots, put yourself around vintage situations, go to Brick Lane, network and chat with people. When I started out, I went to a Depop seller’s pop-up, got friendly with them and bought their leftover stock. Just hanging around the scene really helps you learn.
“Go for it and take a risk”
What’s been your biggest challenge and most rewarding moment so far?
The biggest challenge over the last three years has been our expansion. We went from selling online and having a little local store to moving into permanent concessions at Urban Outfitters. The increased footfall meant the stock load and effort basically doubled. The most rewarding part was typing up the business plan in my kitchen to propose the permanent concession. When they liked the idea, it was a great feeling. Unlike pop-ups where you’re only there for 48 hours, being a concession makes me feel like we’re part of the Urban Outfitters brand and culture. It really helped us build a rapport with returning customers.
“(I) feel like we’re part of the Urban Outfitters brand and culture”
Describe the Groovy Garage aesthetic in three words…
Timeless. Passion. Groovy.
I feel like the things we sell and the brands themselves are timeless. Pieces from brands like Stone Island, Prada and Lacoste are timeless; whether bought in the 80s or last week, they’re still relevant. And passion, because I wouldn’t have brought it this far without it… I would have felt bored and stopped.
What’s been your biggest challenge and most rewarding moment so far?
The biggest challenge over the last three years has been our expansion. We went from selling online and having a little local store to moving into permanent concessions at Urban Outfitters. The increased footfall meant the stock load and effort basically doubled. The most rewarding part was typing up the business plan in my kitchen to propose the permanent concession. When they liked the idea, it was a great feeling. Unlike pop-ups where you’re only there for 48 hours, being a concession makes me feel like we’re part of the Urban Outfitters brand and culture. It really helped us build a rapport with returning customers.
“(I) feel like we’re part of the Urban Outfitters brand and culture”
Describe the Groovy Garage aesthetic in three words…
Timeless. Passion. Groovy.
I feel like the things we sell and the brands themselves are timeless. Pieces from brands like Stone Island, Prada and Lacoste are timeless; whether bought in the 80s or last week, they’re still relevant. And passion, because I wouldn’t have brought it this far without it… I would have felt bored and stopped.
“And passion, because I wouldn’t have brought it this far without it…”
70s, 80s, or 90s?
90s.
Go-to vintage item everyone should own?
A vintage cap. The older shapes from the USA, like the old athletic ones, have the perfect shape if you curve the brim, and it’s hard to find that anymore.
Most overrated vintage item?
Controversial, but I would say a vintage handbag.
Archive designer or no-label?
It has to be archive designer. But if you can get archive designer for a no label price, that’s when you’re really cooking - you’ll always remember where you got it and how much it was.
One word to describe your rails?
Curated. Everything on our rails is curated by myself and a colleague. We handpick everything based on what we would personally wear.
What's next for Groovy Garage? Is there anything you can tell us?
My initial goal was to build something bigger than my parents’ spare room, which is where I first started selling clothes - and I think we’ve achieved that. As for what’s next, it’s a secret for now!
70s, 80s, or 90s?
90s.
Go-to vintage item everyone should own?
A vintage cap. The older shapes from the USA, like the old athletic ones, have the perfect shape if you curve the brim, and it’s hard to find that anymore.
Most overrated vintage item?
Controversial, but I would say a vintage handbag.
Archive designer or no-label?
It has to be archive designer. But if you can get archive designer for a no label price, that’s when you’re really cooking - you’ll always remember where you got it and how much it was.
One word to describe your rails?
Curated. Everything on our rails is curated by myself and a colleague. We handpick everything based on what we would personally wear.
What's next for Groovy Garage? Is there anything you can tell us?
My initial goal was to build something bigger than my parents’ spare room, which is where I first started selling clothes - and I think we’ve achieved that. As for what’s next, it’s a secret for now!