Interim Thrift: The Art Of The Deal

tep into your current state of mind and retrieve everything that you remember, thought or previously heard about thrift shopping, now take a moment to delete all of the negative things you ever heard about thrifting, can’t do it? Then the guys from the Art of Reuse will help you. For many people thrift shopping or thrifting is and has always been a way of life because of economic constraints, buying used and second hand items at the lowest price possible makes dollars and sense, but what about the new wave of folks that just want one-of-a-kind pieces or love the thrill of treasure hunting and gathering? For those people, there is Interim, an original, outside the box shopping experience that captivates all the senses as well as introduces those unfamiliar with the world of thrift shopping to just that, thrift shopping, but in a way like no other.

The word Interim is absolutely fitting for the temporary boutiques, because the shops only last for one day. Conceptualized by Sean Brown, one of the co-founders of The Art of Reuse, the collective that encompasses the Interim shops. “I initially came up with the idea and brought it to the rest of the team, this is by no means a one person effort. Interim was our proof that thrift works, that it’s possible, that it’s a great alternative and there’s a whole lifestyle. There have been negative connotations, that thrift shopping is dirty, and we want people to open their minds and see what it has to offer.”

When you walk into one of the Interim spaces you will instantly see and understand the care, branding and planning that went into bringing the traveling store to fruition. Six months planning time goes into preparing each Interim shopping experience, so it’s evident that the guys of Interim believe slow and steady wins the race and are always on the lookout for inspiration and new pieces. The team will then formulate a story and envision the types of pieces they want to present. Just completing their fourth installment of Interim at 258 Bergen Street in Brooklyn, the fellas decided on a Navajo inspired theme, this also served as their first store on American soil. The previous stores were in Toronto and all had an eclectic and creative twist, from an antique housewares store displaying plaid, to a gutted out coffee shop featuring hunting apparel and furs, looking for a gentlemen’s shop in an art gallery? Yeah, they did that too. “Each store had its own unique vision and that’s the fun part about it because we get to use our imagination, the next store will probably be full camouflage, we’ve already started collecting pieces for the fifth shop.” says Bernard Manarin, another member of the quartet.

If you’re wondering about quality, don’t, it’s high on the list for the team who all have extensive retail experience, so the items you will find are not just in sync with the theme, but have and hopefully will stand the test of time and that’s not even the best part, each item is under $50, but there is a three item purchase limit per person so choose wisely.

But how did a group of guys from Toronto end up in Brooklyn? “As I began venturing out looking for a space I knew I wanted it to be in New York so I went to check out the guys at the BKc and see what they were about, I had just heard about this great space in Brooklyn. I connected with Gabe and Ouigi on a second trip and they offered us the chance to use the space, I totally wasn’t expecting it which is what made it so great. The support in the states has been overwhelming and we’re really grateful for it,” says Courtney Eastman.

When it comes to plans for the future the team is moving full steam ahead and continuing with their traveling pop-up thrift boutiques. “We’re fighting a war against consumerism, I think people have generally lost sense of what it means to be an individual because you have these billboards and big chain retailers telling you how to dress and what’s beautiful, but not how to be yourself, they are more concerned with the dollar figure not with you building your own unique style,” says Brown.

Now being frugal can take some practice if you’re not familiar with thrifting, according to Othello Grey it really takes time and understanding, “be patient when thrifting because you may not find anything the first time, but you have to keep going to develop your ability to pick things out.”