Aoife does the vintage hunting so you don’t have to
EVER see someone wearing a stand-out fashion piece and think to yourself “I wonder where I can get something like that?” Or ponder over how you can find bolder and brighter pieces for your wardrobe without having the same thing as everyone else? Aoife Cosgrave has too.
Vintage clothing hunter Aoife is one of the newest faces in sustainable vintage fashion. Her new Instagram venture @wild.boar.vintage, still in its infancy, is the brainchild of a Laois woman who has mixed her values and flair for vintage fashion into a new business venture.
I wasn’t deterred by the low following, in fact, it made me want to investigate more. Aoife’s brand is mere weeks old and it’s fascinating to watch it take its first steps.
A newborn in name only
Though Wild Boar Vintage may still be a newborn, the ideas and ethic behind it aren’t. The 31-year-old has been mulling over the decision to get the brand out of her head and onto phone screens for quite a while.
Aoife, whose day job is in supplier relations and procurement, has always had a love for preloved. Speaking to the Limerick Post, she shared how this passion inspired her to take a leap of faith into the fashion industry.
“I’ve always been interested in vintage, thrifting, and charity shopping. For years, I would’ve sold some of my own preloved bits that I would’ve found on places like Etsy, ASOS MarketPlace, and DEPOP.
“I just love the buzz of finding new and unique statement pieces. It’s the best and I just wanted to bring that to people. I would always get compliments on my style, so I also wanted to bring that to other people.”
Aoife, who currently lives in Dublin, says her own personal values when it comes to shopping are at the heart of her new businesses.
“I have always preferred to buy second-hand. As well as the sustainability factor, there’s a buzz from knowing someone else loved this item before you. It’s a really nice feeling to think that a piece of clothing has lived its own life.
“I tend to avoid fast fashion where possible, I would only buy it for things like underwear. I mean they’re kind of hard to source second-hand,” she adds with a laugh.
Simplifying vintage fashion
Aoife’s goal is to simplify the vintage shopping experience for fashionistas on the go. Shoppers see a piece they love, hit the like button, and send Aoife a message to arrange sale and delivery.
What many don’t see, Aoife explains, is the hours of hard graft in hunting and curating unique vintage items – something she admits not everyone loves to do themselves.
There is an element of mystery to shopping vintage, I’ve always found. It’s not about labels and logos, it’s about how something makes you feel when you wear it. Aoife values memorable statement pieces over the power of big names, something she says is echoed in her online range.
“They’re all kind of unknown vintage brands. For me, the whole idea of the shop is bringing big, bright, and bold colours and statement pieces. They’re unique and in your face, and I just love that,” she says.
Rooting for the underdog
Starting from scratch in her new venture, where does Aoife see Wild Boar Vintage going in the future?
“The dream would be to have a bricks and mortar shop,” she shares. “During the summer I’m planning on attending different markets. I did one to test out the brand last year and that went really well. The long-term plan, I want to turn it into a proper sustainable business.”
I’m always rooting for the underdog. A new Irish business has just been born, and I’m excited to watch what direction it goes. You never know, you could one day say you were one of Wild Boar Vintage’s earliest followers when the brand hits the stratosphere.
