PRESS

The online and in-store boutique aims to offer curated vintage — and a few new — finds spanning fashion and home decor. We caught up with founder Lauren Lee to learn more.

 

Q. For those who aren’t familiar, what is Gather? 

 

A. Gather is a small shop in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood of Vancouver. We offer curated vintage, preloved clothing, slow fashion and vintage homewares. We also sell a selection of products from both sustainable and local female-owned local brands.

 

Q. What makes it unique? 

 

A. Gather is unique in that we specialize in contemporary vintage that is highly curated. Along with vintage, we offer preloved modern consignment that fits a similar aesthetic. We are always on the lookout for quality and timeless pieces and focus on mostly natural materials like linen, silk and wool, depending on the season.

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Mother Muse Magazine

Bravado Designs in Conversation With Lauren Lee of Gather


Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

 I have a small business called Gather. It started as an online shop two years ago, and I recently made the jump to a brick-and-mortar shop a few months ago. It has been really nice to actually go to work and separate my job from my home life. I have poured a lot of energy into it the last year; setting up the shop and designing all the details has been really fun. I love interior design and fashion, and my shop is a mixture of clothing and curated home goods. When I’m not working on that, I’m with my soon-to-be four-year-old son. I am constantly finding new ways to juggle my life with my son and work. I am currently working on being more present in general.

What inspired your passion for vintage?

I have always loved vintage clothing and home stuff since I was young. Whenever I visit a new city or town, the first things I look for are vintage shops. I didn’t get into the thrifting side of things until my thirties and after I had my son. I bought almost all of his stuff second-hand. I really enjoy hunting for things now; it is a borderline obsession to get to the thrift shops. I was a pretty bad fast fashion offender in my younger years. I guess I didn’t realize the damage it was doing to people and the planet, and I really had to reevaluate my values when it came to consumption. I love minimalistic vintage pieces, particularly of the 90’s era. As I get older, I have come to value things that are well made and that I will wear over and over. I typically look for pieces made from quality materials like linen, cotton, wool, and silk.

Full Article:

https://mother-muse.com/2021/05/25/bravado-design-in-conversation-with-lauren-lee-founder-of-gather/

 

Zora Hhuklak Real Estate Journal

Lauren & Geoff Gather at Home

 

When their family first moved in, Lauren ran a very successful, online resale business from home. She used the white walls to take photographs and the business spread to all rooms of the house. She originally thought she’d love to work and live within the same space but she opened the doors to Gather last spring in its current Mount Pleasant location.

How did Gather come to be?
I have always loved vintage clothing and furniture. I didn’t really get into thrifting until I had my son four years ago. I bought almost all of his stuff second-hand. That was really the inspiration behind creating Gather. I became more conscious about consumerism and the way in which stuff is made and the environmental impact it has. I wanted to create a space for curated kids vintage and I couldn’t really find that anywhere else. Now I have kids, womens and home goods.

What's your favourite thing to source and why?  
I love collecting unique home decor whether it be mid-century furniture or vintage glassware. A lot of the things in our home are found objects. 

What's the thing(s) you've thrifted for the store but knew it felt better within your own home?
I have found a lot of great things over the past few years. I have some original oil paintings I’ve thrifted that hang on our walls and an antique wooden doll house for my kids that is really special. I recently scored a vintage Franco Albini rocking horse for them to play with. I’m not very sentimental about things I source though. I can’t wait for my kids to enjoy them but I always think about selling or gifting them down the road. 

The store is in Mount Pleasant. Do you have a daily must stop in between home and work? 
I love living near Commercial Drive but Mount Pleasant was my dream area for my business. It has such a great mix of vintage shops and great restaurants. There’s no where like it in Vancouver. My favourite place near the shop is Fabrique St George for a post work glass of wine.

Does your home and your shop have anything in common design wise? 
Not really. I wanted to keep my shop bright and airy. The clothing I carry is contemporary and minimalistic so I wanted the shop to reflect that with no specific time period in design. My home is more Scandi, I would say, with black focal points and warm wood. 

Full Article:

https://www.zhrealestate.ca/journal/lauren-geoff-gather-at-home