This month we are speaking with Tamara Young, owner of Consign Couture. A modern, sustainable, and highly-curated consignment boutique for women's clothing in The Village.
Phil: Thank you for taking the time with us today. Can you tell us how Consign Couture got started?
Tamara: I’ve always had a love of marketing, photography, and fashion. I had a building with some space available in St. Johns and my mother encouraged me to combine my interests and open a boutique of high-end fashion items such as clothing, handbags, shoes, and accessories for women. I opened that store in 2011 and the St. Johns community was very supportive. This last year I decided I wanted to move the business closer to where I lived, here in Southwest Portland. So we are now open in Multnomah Village!
Phil: What made you want to focus on consignment rather than brand new items?
Tamara: My Grandmother taught me about thrifting and higher-end clothes, and why they are important. Having high-quality, beautiful clothes isn’t about prestige as much as it is about having something that fits and feels amazing as well as lasting longer. We live in a society that shops “Fast Fashion”. Companies like Old Navy sell their products for less money but they wear out faster. Then with clothes that are already cheaper to buy, they have sales or offer free delivery. All of those costs go somewhere, and it is usually taken out in the quality of the product. This leads to over-consuming and now discarded clothing is the number one pollutant in the world. When you reuse clothing you are creating a new energy cycle for that garment and keeping things out of the landfill. Better clothing and fabric is also able to be recycled into other clothing. So for me it is a mission to not only help our customers have a welcoming, inclusive, fun space to shop, but to also create a nurturing community that makes a difference.
Phil: I've never really thought about that, I can see second-hand clothing in a different light now. How has the move to Southwest Portland been for your mission and how can we support you?
Tamara: Multnomah Village has been this magical little place in the middle of the pandemic to open it’s arms to us. We are so thankful to the community for supporting us from the first day we opened. We have an amazing group of customers that have followed us from our days in St. Johns and we are so excited that the community here also really appreciates a modern, sustainable, and highly-curated boutique, without the boutique prices. Customers can check out our New Arrival videos on Instagram. We get so much great stuff in every day and one of the best ways to see what we have currently is to following us on Instagram (@consigncouture). Also, we always need high-end, gently used clothes, shoes, handbags, and accessories. We also offer virtual consignment appointments over Zoom if you prefer. We look forward to meeting everyone when they come in!
Consign Couture is at 7871 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland. 503.871.7140 – More Info at Consign-Couture.com