Stepping down into the basement of Úma Vintage is to embark on a journey through time. A handpicked selection of vintage t-shirts and classic varsity jackets from the 80s and 90s are flanked by neon lighting, a tiny caravan TV and a giant boom box. The venue is located in a charming farmhouse along Rådhusesplanaden, and shares the entrance floor with the salon Forma and the lifestyle store Plomb. Philip Lundström and Ludvig Oskarsson started Úma Vintage in 2018 with a pop-up shop on Umeå University's campus and have since built a loyal group of followers of vintage enthusiasts who share the duo's fascination for 80s and 90s clothing.
- We could have invested in running an online store only, but it is so much more fun with a real store where you actually get to meet people. Interest in vintage has grown considerably in Umeå since we started - it has become status among young people, says Ludvig Oskarsson
Neighbour to the second hand stor is the store Forma which runs by Philip Lundströms girlfriend Matilda Mörk.
The selection is characterized by the 80s and 90s, but gaudy blazers and oversized shoulder pads are conspicuous by their absence. Instead, it's iconic band t-shirts, varsity jackets and classic American workwear lining the walls.
- Maybe not everyone can tell the difference between a newly produced Nirvana t-shirt from H&M and an original from the 90s, but if you are really interested, you will see it from afar. It's fun when there is history in the clothes, says Ludvig Oskarsson.
Philip Lundström runs the shop Úma Vintage together with his friend Ludvig Oskarsson.
Philip and Ludvig find the clothes both via the web and during visits to vintage meccas such as New York and Tokyo, and before the pandemic, several trips were made entirely with the aim of scouring second-hand shops and flea markets around the world.
"Maybe it's not so cool to take your girlfriend on a romatic weekend in Paris and then spend the whole weekend looking for a Public Enemy t-shirt from 1989." - Philip Lundström."
Among vintage enthusiasts online, some t-shirts can be sold for real fantasy sums. Led Zeppelin's 1979 tour t-shirt went for around $10,000 a few years ago, while RUN DMC's classic Adidas tee sold for around $13,000. You don't have to pay that much at Úma Vintage, but some rarities can have price tags of a couple of thousand.
- What we have in the store now is from SEK 350-2,350, but we have had more expensive t-shirts than that. We have a curated selection and are not at the same low price level as Myrornas or the Red Cross, but our customers are usually quite aware of that, says Ludvig Oskarsson.
Nathalie "Cleo" Missaoui is an Umeå artist that just released a new record produced by Alexander Juneblad. Monika Kichau has been styling both press photos and stage clothes for Cleo for many years.
At Kulturbageriet in Väven, Monika Kichau sits and glances at her intensely buzzing mobile phone. As a stylist and fashion writer, she collaborates with, among others, SVT's Go'kväll and Damernas Värld, and the Umeå resident has long had vintage fashion as her great interest.
- It's Nathalie, we're planning a press photoshoot in Stockholm next week so it's a little extra busy right now, she explains when the phone buzzes on the table once more.
"Nathalie" is the album current Umeå artist Nathalie Missaoui, perhaps even better known as Cleo. Monika Kichau has long styled Cleo for both music videos and tour clothes – often with a mix of vintage and newly produced. Via her blog at damernasvarld.se, lectures around Sweden and the Instagram account @monikakichau, she spreads style tips and inspiration around second-hand and vintage fashion.
- For me, it's as much about the possibility of creativity as about the perspective of sustainability. Not everything I wear is second hand, but I have a rule for myself that 50 percent of my outfit should be. I try to show others how fun and easy it actually is to pick up second-hand items in the wardrobe, says Monika Kichau.
The interest in vintage and second hand was awakened in her early teens, and has over time developed into a passion and part of her profession. Today, Monika finds many of the vintage finds in the collection via online shops such as Vestiaire, The RealReal and Sellpy, but she still loves rummaging through the boxes at chaotic flea markets.
- The threshold can be higher to start shopping second hand at large flea markets where it can be a bit messy and disorganized - then there are very organized and curated online shops where everything is sorted by brand and size. In addition, there are curated second-hand and vintage stores such as Úma Vintage or Hållbart here in Umeå, says Monika Kichau.
This fall, Monika Kichau is back on TV with Go'kväll's "Gör om mig", but until then you can find her styling tips at damernasvarld.se and on Instagram.
MONIKAS 3 TIPS FOR VINTAGE INSPIRATION
1. @johannaleymanse – designer & writer, lectures on sustainable fashion
2. @myrorna – amazing campaigns och style inspiration
3. @anotherblog – a design that do research in second hand fashion
The stylist Monika Kichau is known from SVT Go'kväll's "Gör om mig" and blogs at damernasvarld.se.
VINTAGE OR SECOND HAND – WHAT´S THE DIFFERENCE?
There is no clear cut rule for the difference between vintage and second hand, but one definition is that a vintage garment is at least 25 years old. In addition, enthusiasts often talk about a vintage garment being in good condition and of high artisanal quality.
SECOND HAND I UMEÅ
City
Röda Korset City
Hållbart
Úma Vintage
Umeå Klädbibliotek (Hamnmagasinet)
Kärnan second hand
Sisters in Law
Mariedal/Ersboda
Myrorna
Röda Korset Mariedal
Rebuy Umeå
Övriga
PMU Teg
Emmaus (Grubbe)
Ålidhem returbutik
PMU Vännäs