Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Walter.
Hi Amy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started selling vintage because I never wanted to wear what anyone else was wearing. I lived in San Diego in 2009 and lived above the coolest vintage clothing store. The girls that worled in there were so cool and I wanted to be just like them. I’d spend hours and hours in that store just talking to them and studying materials, old tags, old sillouettes and shapes.
The girls in the store would dress me in really cool old outfits i’d never dreamed of putting together. I was like this is what I want to do someday.
Over time i built up a pretty awesome personal vintage collection along with some other items I wasnt so attached to but had to have in my possetion.
When I moved to Charleston, South Carolina I would constantly get stopped on the street for my style and saw there was an opportunity here for a cool store that didn’t exist at the time.
Then I opened Red Rose Vintage.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When i opened my store and even leading up tp opening my store it was smooth sailing. Pre-covid, finding vintage was a cake walk. No one was on the wave yet.
I remember leaving thrift stores with carts full of items. I was putting things back I’d kill for today.
Since covid, I think people were stuck at home and forced to find new jobs, sources of income and new hobbies. Alot of people discovered thrifting and it became the rise of online vintage selling for any household person who found it.
This industry has changed drastically in the 10+ years I’ve been in it. Information is so easy to come across. You can just google image anything.
I am proud that I have stuck with my gut and have stood my ground and still sell only items that really speak to me. Just because it’s old doesnt mean its cute. I get so many compliments on my curation and I’m very picky. I dont sell any old thing. My customers see that and if it means leacvcing the thrift store empy handed it is what it is.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Red Rose Vintage?
We opened our mobile vintage clothing shop in March of 2016. Set inside a renovated and re-modeled 1976 Airstream RV, our flagship pop-up store is filled from front to back with the freshest vintage finds. Amy Rose (Me) and my dad renovated the Airstream together in 2015. The Airstreams real name is “Harvey.”
RED ROSE VINTAGE HAS BEEN VOTED “BEST VINTAGE CLOTHING STORE IN CHARLESTON” From 2018-2025!
Amy Rose is the owner of Red Rose Vintage. She has been trained by certified professional vintage collectors and buyers, has years of experience in the vintage industry, a great eye, and is very passionate about young, cool, hip, trendy vintage clothing.
Amy recently bought a fixer upper here in Charleston, has a puppy named Casper and can’t live without coffee.
She’s obsessed with the band Paramore and her style icons are Hayley Williams & the Olsen twins.
Amy has been interviewed by major media companies including mtv & instagram and is honored to have spoken at the college of charleston twice. She’s also been given as also cool shoutout by Charleston native “Madeline Cline” from “Outer Banks” who’s a regular customer at Red Rose!
You cant find items at Red Rose anywhere else in Charleston, especially not at the prices. If you walk all the way up king street and see all the fast fashion stores selling items from $50-$100 that are poorly made and wont last you more than a year, you’ll wish you found Red Rose first. We dont have much over $50 and the items we carry will last you a lifetime. The more you wash them and wear them the cooler they will look. Promise.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I remember shopping at the Mall of America in the ’90s and visiting one of my favorite stores called “5.7.9” they had live models in the windows of the store.
My friend and I would stick out our tongues and try to make funny faces to make the models break character but they never did.
I’ve always said if I opened a “Real” retail store I would have live models in the windows.
Pricing:
- 10-50
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.RedRoseVintage.com
- Instagram: @RedRoseVintageShop
- Facebook: @RedRoseVintageShop
