There's a new second-hand shop in Makati and it boasts of something a lot of retail stores don't have: personality

IT'S VINTAGE is a newly opened second-hand shop in Makati comparable to ukay-ukay, except it offers a lot more: It has a wide assortment of sukajan, or Japanese sourvenir jackets, blazers in every print you can imagine, multi-colored corduroy pants, a vintage jewelry shop, and my god, such personality.

It started as a pop-up, announcing sale dates on Instagram, and quickly IT'S VINTAGE gained a following among Manila's stylish crowd.

According to owner and creative director Fed Pua, a brick-and-mortar store was always in the plans. “We loved the pop-up shops because each one of them was unique, but they were really a way to experiment how the concept (which had not been done widely in Manila) would be embraced by the public, and also for a way to save up money that we’d one day use to construct the store that we have now,” Pua tells GMA News Online.

IT'S VINTAGE is hard to miss. Look for the bright green Planters Products Inc. building on Esteban Street in Makati, head out to the second floor, and find its signage that looks almost like one of those old-school Goosebumps book.

Taking inspiration from mid-century log cabins, you’re greeted by warm music playing from a record player once inside. There’s a display of vintage dolls (spot Donny and Marie Osmond and the Spice Girls) and a massive collection of vinyl records. Behind the counter is a gorgeous shadow box featuring the shop’s name and a taxidermy bird.

“I wanted the entire space to feel timeless and homey while still maintaining the kitsch and charm of a traditional thrift/vintage store (thus, the dolls),” Fed says.
Fed confidently says that IT’S VINTAGE has something you don’t get a lot in today’s retail scene: personality.

He shares, “We pride ourselves in creating stories. From the moment you enter when our team greets you to the music that’s playing in our record player to the shop interiors to the smell of the store, everyone has their own IT’S VINTAGE story to tell.”

But this isn’t your standard ukay-ukay, where prices are much lower. The items that are stocked here are sourced from abroad.  According to Fed, around 80% is probably from the States and the rest are a mix between Japan and Europe. “We update our stocks daily! We always have new shipments coming in and opening the boxes is always the most exciting thing to do. Our customers are always a part of the brand which is why we never fail to post on Instagram when we bring out new stuff.”

Band tees go from P999 up, dresses, jackets, and blazers are P2,999 up. There is a wide assortment of sukajan or Japanese souvenir jackets, blazers in every print you can imagine, and multi-colored corduroy pants. Since the shop stocks daily, you’ll have something new to browse each time you visit.

The only other brand the store stocks is Souvenir, a vintage jewelry online shop run by Sam Potenciano. Fed tells us that he initially didn’t plan on consigning items from other brands, “but I really love Sam’s curatorial eye for accessories which I admittedly do not possess. The decision to include Souvenir was unanimous and I’m so happy that we stock a limited in-store curation of their pieces.”

Souvenir sources their vintage jewelry from travels around the world as well. You’ll find necklaces from Japan, deadstock pieces from Paris, and other precious accessories that are one-of-a-kind (they only carry one of each item and they won’t be available online).

Fed knows that a lot of their customers are there because of handpicked vintage sourced by him, so he knows not to stock any other vintage seller in-store. “The shop is an extension of myself and that is translated with the pieces I personally bring in,” he says of the service he brings in by curating the items available in his shop.

Gaining a lot of online love is IT’S VINTAGE’s psychedelic-hued dressing room. Customers are posting mirror selfies with the bright background and declaring love for the LGBTQ+ friendly room. But the dressing room is actually based on a scene from the 1973 Jodorowsky film The Holy Mountain. Fed explains, “A lot of people confuse it for the LGBTQ+ flag, which I’m not complaining about!”

The shop just opened last Sunday after a successful launch party on Saturday, attended by IT’S VINTAGE family and friends. Spotted at the opening were longtime fans of the brand as well as new customers Janine Gutierrez, Lauren and James Reid, and She’s Only Sixteen’s Roberto Seña and Andrew Panopio.

They’re open Tuesdays to Sundays from 12nn to 8p.m. Fed shares with us that they’re planning a contest on Instagram very soon as a thank you to their customers for giving them such a warm welcome on their first permanent store. Follow them @itsvintagevintage on Instagram to stay updated.

IT’S VINTAGE is located on the 2F Planters Products, Inc. Building 109 Esteban Street, Makati.