What is better than being a conscious consumer? Being a local conscious consumer. That is why The Cascade sat down with local Chilliwack store Fraser & Co. Modern Vintage, a vintage and pre-loved specialty store within the central village of downtown Chilliwack. Store owners Kim and Sara have been active on social media since 2019 and have been selling via Instagram, Etsy, and pop-up shops. The pair officially opened their physical store in August 2021.
They have now been open just over a year, and love being a part of the local downtown scene. With the two growing up in Chilliwack, The Cascade wanted to know what it means to them to be a part of the community, and why they chose Chilliwack.
“You know, so that teenagers or young people in Chilliwack can experience what shopping should be when shopping locally. I feel like especially where we are, all the businesses really support each other, and we send people to each other. Our neighbors are fantastic.”
By even just looking at the store’s social media it is clear that Kim and Sara have a strong passion for vintage clothing. They grew up thrifting and going to garage sales with their mom, and it has always just been normal for them to shop for unique vintage pieces. However, the part of vintage and pre-loved fashion that really drives them is sustainability.
“I feel like once you’ve taken into account the sustainability factor and all the positives that come with it, [and] I think our culture is moving in that direction anyway, it feels up and coming and new even though we’ve been doing it forever,” said Sara
The store also features non-vintage and pre-loved items as well. Fraser & Co. Modern Vintage features clothes, accessories, and home goods. There is a big emphasis on why the duo chose these newer items to be the ones they sell.
“We try to be very careful about which ones we bring in,” said Kim. “Women-owned, Canadian-owned, definitely small batch. Ones that produce items ethically or sustainably, either one or the other if not both. It’s hard to find, but we try our best.”
Kim and Sara are also aware of how the rise in sustainability has changed the game of vintage or sustainable fashion. Their goal is to make the store fit a wide range of budgets, and hope their customers can find something at any spending level. They have included dressing rooms, curate their pieces, and wash and mend all the pre-loved pieces so they’re ready to wear straight away. They also understand that fast fashion cannot be totally avoided, so what is their advice for navigating fast fashion?
“I think like trying to limit what you buy from fast fashion sites or if you are buying from there, just using [the product] as much as possible until it’s completely destroyed,” said Kim. “We’re never trying to make anyone feel bad for shopping that way because we understand that not everyone has the time to look for things, but we’re just trying to give people an option.”
During the interview we got to talking about how so many trends become recycled every few decades and they note how fun it is to see trends come back in the vintage market.
Sara explained that “every single trend has its roots in vintage. Actually, you can find the original. It’s gonna be better made, it’s gonna last way longer. So we’re just so thankful for every person who’s being so intentional to come and shop. There’s a fun energy in it too.”
Lastly, we discussed the events the store has hosted and the pop up events they have taken part in. The store recently had a private event after closing hours where they sold tickets for a chance to shop with a stylist to help pick specific items.
“We want everyone to feel like this is their closet and someone’s here just helping you find what works for what you’re looking for,” said Sara.
Fraser & Co. Modern Vintage is hosting another private event Dec. 1. Keep an eye out on their social media @shopfraserandco for updates and to purchase tickets. They will also have a rack at the holiday shopping event at Create Space Hair Co. on Dec. 6.
Eva Davey is a UFV student majoring in English Literature and minoring in Media Communications. She is a fan of poetry, oat milk lattes, and the final girl trope. Currently, her worst enemy is the Good Reads app.