By Michelle Young
“I try to curate collections that are rooted in really fine constructions and materials.”
Beth Conkey, owner of the new thrift store Friperie in Great Barrington, takes the term “retail therapy” to a whole new level. She’s a nurse, a job she says can be “depleting emotional and physically,” particularly when working in the emergency room, but her favorite way to relax is to wander the aisles of a thrift store—something she’s done since childhood. Last year, Conkey began posting her finds on Instagram and “it just spiraled from there,” she says. “I started buying things that clearly weren’t for me, but I knew they needed to be with someone.” And that’s what makes Friperie, the French word for “thrift store,” unique: Conkey is collecting with a particular mantra in mind.
“I try to channel when I lived in France,” she says. “French women seem to curate these effortlessly chic wardrobes and they don’t have a ton of clothes in their closet… I try to curate collections that are rooted in really fine constructions and materials.” After pop-up locations in Lee and in Great Barrington, Friperie opened its first permanent location on Bridge Street in Great Barrington in mid-February. The store launched with an après ski capsule. Très apropos.
Four other vintage closets worth raiding:
1. Catwalk Boutique
325 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington
51 Church Street, Lenox
This women’s resale store, located in both Great Barrington and Lenox, benefits the Berkshire Humane Society, and every purchase helps the care and rehoming of homeless pets. A wide range of brands can be found, from Talbots and Ann Taylor to Vince and Valentino.
catwalkboutique.org
2. Stella Rose
255 New Milford Turnpike (Rt. 202), New Preston, CT
“Spare the landfills, spoil your closet,” is eco-friendly Stella Rose’s tagline. Under Theresa Mieczkowski’s stewardship, leftover clothing is upcycled into fabric gifts or donated to charities. “The old stuff is the good stuff,” declares Mieczkowski, who calculates the amount of water and carbon footprint reduced each year through the shop’s sales.
stellarosect.com
3. Savvy Hive
53 Main Street, North Adams
More than a thrift store, North Adams shop Savvy Hive redistributes free clothing to those in need, hires locally, serves as a platform for local designers, hosts events, and keeps 90% of their earnings in the local economy. Clothing is organized by style, rather than gender, and alteration and repair services are available onsite.
savvyhive.co
4. Nina Z
344 Warren Street, Hudson, NY
Swedish native and Fashion Institute of Technology graduate Nina Ziefert uses her industry know-how to buy for her shop, which carries clogs from her eponymous line and vintage clothes she hand-picks on her travels. You can find designer labels like Alaia, Versace, and Kenzo, as well as items from Sweden and Botswana, where Ziefert’s husband grew up.
ninaznyc.com
