BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO
For years, we’ve been on a mission to avoid fast fashion. When you learn that discarded garments produce 40 million tons of waste in the landfill each year, it makes you think twice about the clothing you purchase. Constantly on a quest for one-of-a-kind vintage pieces that tell a story, we were over the moon to meet owner of FOUND Vintage, CO., Melinda Tarbell at the Summer Firefly Handmade Market last month. Her welcoming personality brought us into her thoughtfully curated booth, and we instantly wanted to learn more about her passion.
You began your career as a Fashion Stylist in LA, nearly two decades ago. Did you go to school for this craft and did you always know you wanted to be in fashion? We’d love to learn more about your journey.
I have always loved finding unique pieces of clothing and pairing them in new ways. Clothing has been an outlet of self-expression for me since I was young. After graduating from the University of Arizona with a BS in Business Marketing I went to work as a buyer in the Bay Area for a retail store. Realizing within a year that buying was not my calling I made a career shift within the brand to Marketing. There I worked across categories Women’s Apparel, Men’s, Shoes, Jewelry, etc. to gain a breath of experience in retail marketing and advertising.
In 2005, I moved to Los Angeles and was looking for a fresh start. A dear friend who was a producer who introduced me to the world of fashion styling while asking me to lunch on a commercial set she was working on. I was hooked!
I decided to go back to school for an Associate of Arts in Visual Communications at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). During this program I assisted and interned with celebrity and commercial stylists alike to gain experience. I loved being on set (I still do). After graduating from FIDM I began leveraging my prior marketing contacts to style commercials and kept my hand in celebrity editorial and red carpet work.
I have found that this industry is all about working hard and being creative while being consistent and a team player. Each client and experience have been unique and built upon the last. I still feel like I learn something new on every styling project I take on.
When we relocated to Colorado in the summer of 2023, I felt it was time to expand upon my skills as a stylist and my love of thrifting to finally realize my passion project of having a vintage collection. Launching FOUND in February of 2024 has been a breath of fresh air into my creative spirit! I truly love every part of the process.
How did you find yourself in Colorado?
While my partner and I enjoyed our time living in LA we recognized it was time for a change. With our young son we wanted to make a fresh start near family and provide him with a larger sense of belonging. My Dad was from Boulder so we have roots in this beautiful state. We lost my Dad just 7 weeks before we moved to the land that made him. Being in Colorado has been healing, in that I feel his presence and support everyday.
We are firm believers in sustainable fashion in a world where fast fashion is right at our fingertips. Tell us about your mission. The statistics around Textile waste in the United States are staggering. An astounding 11.3 million tons of textile waste end up in US landfills each year, which is around 85% of all textiles. FOUND Vintage, CO. seeks to contribute to the reduction in the number (even in the smallest of ways) by curating beauty in the discarded. Helping consumers to realize they can infuse their closets with well made timeless pieces of clothing. Talking with FOUND Vintage clientele and helping them to see how to wear vintage everyday and how that can enhance their personal style is a true joy.
Tell us about the art of storytelling through found vintage apparel.
With a curated selection of handpicked vintage apparel, you’re not just buying fabric and buttons; you’re adopting a piece of history. A well-worn leather jacket might carry the adventures of a rebellious spirit, while a delicate lace blouse whispers of romantic evenings under moonlit skies.
The stories woven into these garments transcend time and trends, offering a glimpse into the lives of those who once wore them. From intricate embroidery that tells of skilled artisans to faded denim that narrates tales of hard work and resilience, each piece is a chapter in the book of fashion history.
Most people don’t have the patience or time to hunt for one-of-a-kind vintage. What does your process look like?
FOUND Vintage, CO. embraces the fact that there are so many beautiful and well made pieces of clothing out there. It just takes time to unearth them. That is exactly what I do at FOUND. I love the hunt. I love finding beauty in the expected.
My job as a commercial fashion stylist takes me all over the country for photo-shoots. With any downtime, I thrift! Like a scavenger hunt I love to land in a new city and immediately look for the little, local secondhand shop. You can find the most amazing pieces and meet such interesting people.
When I am local in Colorado I truly canvas thrift stores big and small, estate sales and I have been known to meet a cool new friend and dig through their bins of old treasures.
My favorite part of my process and I believe in this niche to be unique is to create art from these secondhand finds. As a stylist I love to flex my creative direction muscle by curating beautiful editorial stories to define capsule collections within my FOUND Vintage inventory. I have been incredibly lucky to work with dear friends who have brought their talents to FOUND via modeling, photography and hair and makeup. I am so grateful to all who have embraced my vision and supported me with their immense talents.
What would you like to tell people who are committed to staying on trend and thus apprehensive of second hand finds?
So much of fashion today is rooted in history. Modern designers are always garnering inspiration for new silhouettes, colors and themes from bygone eras. Shopping secondhand is a way to bring those well-made and long-lasting clothing pieces into the present. I work hard to curate a collection at FOUND that feels relevant to fashion of today and fresh. The perfect vintage blazer can take a simple tee and jeans to a classic sophisticated place.
Where can we find your beloved thrifted treasures?
FOUND Vintage, CO. has each current editorial collection available online at www.foundvintage.co. Follow on Instagram @found_vintage.co where I announce where I will pop up with my full collection.
What can we expect from you in the future?
In a world with lots of expectations, I think the one thing that FOUND has taught me this past year is that anything is possible. You can expect me to keep having fun. To keep searching out gorgeous pieces that make others feel special. To keep evolving creatively and bring big smiles to all the thrift lovers in Colorado.
If you’d like to learn more about FOUND Vintage, CO. visit foundvintage.co (that’s right, no ‘m’ after co), or meet her in person at the Firefly Handmade Fall Market on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Sept 14-15.