INTERVIEW #49 ANOTHER ARCHIVE
Based in: Lane-Ryr, Bohuslän, Sweden
Founded in: 2020
Founded by: Annica Brage
Shop at: Shipping within Sweden at Instashop and a physical shop-in-shop at Flickornas Magasin in Vänersborg, Sweden.
Price range: 100-2000 SEK
Instagram: @anotherarchive_shop
What is Another Archive Shop and why did you start?
Another Archive is an Instashop for curated second hand & vintage ladieswear. It started off with me writing about my personal capsule wardrobe project back in 2018 - and attempt on shopping more thoughtful to own less clothes. As a result I realized I could start selling stuff from my own wardrobe that I did not use that much - directly in the Insta feed, and it was so fun! When my things sold out I thought why not try this on a bigger scale and sell for others! And so it went, and since 2020 I run it as a business and sell other wardrobe treasures on commission.
How does the concept work?
I post around 12-15 new items per week directly in the feed, photo/video together with product description and to buy you send me an DM. My thing is that it should be accessible and fun to shop second hand, and I like the direct contact with customers with having an Instashop.
Who are your typical customers?
They are people like the 18th year old student that likes a more clean style to the more daring 40th year old that loves that colorful 80s blazer. But what unites them is that they see the many benefits of shopping second hand. I also think many of my customers appreciate strong colors and prints, so I like to keep my selection quite bold.
Where do you source the products from?
People contact me on DM and ask if I want to sell their clothes, and there are people from all over Sweden! They send me pictures on DM, I select and then they ship it to me (I stand for the cost). Sellers get to approve the selling prices and then I shoot in my home studio. For my shop-in-shop at the vintage interior store Flickornas Magasin I source the products myself at local thrift shops. That part of the job is a dream, I absolutely love the treasure hunting and to see the potential in something that is not obvious for all people!
What have been and are the major challenges?
Time! I have run Another Archive as a complement to another job and I always feel I would like to put more time on it. But I am actually just about to work with Another Archive full time for the first time which feels very exciting! But growing without a big marketing budget is always hard.
What has been the largest gain?
Creating something from the scratch by yourself is very satisfying.. For me this has also always been my passion project - entrepreneurship, sustainability and being a small part of making fashion more circular makes me very happy.
What do you think needs to change in the fashion industry to make it more sustainable?
We have to scale down and both produce & buy less new clothes. Fashion companies and opinion makes such as fashion magazines have to face the absurdness in today's over-consumption and dare to take on other business models. We will always need clothes - and fashion is FUN but we can sell it in other ways that's more appropriate to 2022 - second hand, renting, repairing etc.
What would you advise consumers to do who seek to create a sustainable closet and lifestyle?
Try out capsule wardrobing! For me it was an eye-opener to see how much I actually owned (but did not use), and a snowball effect on questioning my consumption in general. My second advice is the great motto "second hand in first hand", when you want something new, always look at preloved first, everything is already out there and shopping second hand is also a great way of exploring and playing around with your style without getting bad concience.
What's the best thing about Another Archive Shop?
That it's a very accessible way to shop current fashion in a sustainable way.
Do you have any useful tips for someone who wants to start their own business/shop?
Just do it, and have patience to let it grow organically if you have the situation for it.
