Thirty local makers in one place sell vintage, handmade goods in Fresno store
Leather bracelets made from old belts, bath products in the shape of unicorn horns and vintage dresses.
A wide range of products are for sale at the newly opened Vivily Vintage & Handmade, a little shop selling handmade and vintage goods across the street from Fresno High School. It’s run by two sisters at 1932 N. Echo Ave., in the same block as Ampersand Ice Cream and Kuppa Joy coffeehouse.
It’s the latest business to jazz up a corner that’s taking on a life of its own, with Quesadilla Gorilla recently opening a restaurant on the Weldon Avenue side of the corner. Shoppers are popping in to Vivily to browse after getting ice cream. And a few male customers are coming in to buy beard oil (a locally made conditioner from Clovis-based Buck Naturals) after visiting the barber on the same block.
About half the items in the store are handmade. Imagine if the owners took merchandise you see at flea markets, on Instagram and from local makers on Etsy.com and put it all in one place. That’s Vivily.
“We wanted a place where people can come all the time and see it,” says Kristin Sandoval, who runs the store with her sister Lauren Silvas.
There are T-shirts that say “Rather be in Yosemite” from Urban Crow Apparel, colorful hats made with fabric from Panama and artsy fashion sketches and dresses embroidered by Francisco Rodriguez.
The sisters describe the store as a family affair and they’re not kidding. Their mother sells baby quilts at the shop and their father sells handcarved wooden wall hangings in the shape of whales. The sisters make banners and mobiles from colorful strips of fabric.
The shop is named after Silvas’ children Vivian and Lily.
The sisters originally got the idea for the store while renting a booth from Vonrad Vintage Antiques in the Tower District. They sold midcentury modern items, but wanted to bring in new merchandise, hence the move to a new store.
The store is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Details: 559-840-0203.
Bethany Clough: 559-441-6431, @BethanyClough
This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Thirty local makers in one place sell vintage, handmade goods in Fresno store."