Two young Aurorans have turned their childhood passion into their dream vintage clothing store.
Red & Black Vintage Clothing is a long time coming for co-owners Daniel Joerges, 23, and Luciano Campisi, 24.
The pair met in junior kindergarten at school in Aurora, and have been close friends since.
They would travel down to Toronto to visit thrift stores in areas like Kensington Market. But as kids, the travel could be frustrating and the lack of options in their hometown left a lot to be desired.
“When I was younger, I always had the dream and the hope that one day I was able to be the person that opened the store,” said co-owner Luciano Campisi, 24. “Because there are kids growing up nowadays that felt the same way you and I felt.”
Now, the pair make the same trip to Toronto they were taking as kids, but to source pieces for their own store. Some are unique finds, Luciano recalls a leather racing jacket, while they also have a wide array of graphic t-shirts.
They wash and then sell them, with prices ranging from $15, up to $200 for the more special items.
Setting up was a whirlwind process over a couple of months.
“It was very hard because we’re so young that everybody didn’t take us seriously or take advantage of us,” said Campisi. “We had to develop thick skin early because people were trying to pull the wool over our eyes. It was tough, but we had a good support system.”
The store soft-launched on April 4 and had their grand opening on May 4, Luciano’s birthday.
There have been some memorable sales already.
Their first sale came as they were still setting up the store. A kid wandered in and picked out a Call of Duty t-shirt.
“It was a really funny item, of all the things that would have gone first,” said Joerges.
The pair also sold a Flintstones t-shirt to Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas.
“We’re just two young dudes looking to make a buck,” added Joerges, “but at the same time keeping the community happy and well dressed.”
The store is located at 14 Wellington St. East, unit 4.
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