Vintage clothing vendors Savannah Barkley and Heather Wolfenden know many of their peers haven’t been able to catch up since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
Taking matters into their own hands, the duo is looking to fill two distinct needs that Rhode Island faces: support fellow small businesses in the retail and handmade market space and occupy currently vacant storefronts that line the streets of Providence.
Bloom Collective LLC, their combined venture, inaugurates their first temporary pop-up location for the holidays at 271 South Main St. in Providence, which runs from Nov. 13 to Dec. 24. Artists and other vendors were able to apply to sell their merchandise in the space, while Barkley and Wolfenden design the displays and partner with local florists on constructing extravagant window displays.
“We’re trying to find a new way to approach a pop-up, where it’s not one big event where hundreds of people need to come in the same day. Instead, we’re spreading it out over the course of a few months to make it more practical, especially during these times,” said Barkley.
Wolfenden said they’re eventually looking to expand to include food vendors and to larger locations, potentially outside of Providence.
Alexa Gagosz is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Gagosz@PBN.com.
