Today we’d like to introduce you to Jahna Peloquin.
Jahna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I decided I wanted to be a writer for a living, so I went to the University of Minnesota to study journalism. To work my way through school, I took a job in high-end retail as a visual stylist and personal shopper and stuck with it for awhile after graduating—journalism jobs were hard to come by, and my growing interest in fashion drew me to retail. I started taking unpaid gigs as a fashion stylist for indie fashion shows and photo shoots in the mid-’00s, and I quickly became friends with local fashion designers and stylists. We were constantly collaborating. It was so much fun, but there was no money in it. Around the same time, I started freelancing as a writer and stylist for a local A&E. publication called Vita.mn, as well as the Editor-in-Chief for an. online arts publication called l’étoile magazine.
After several years covering the local fashion and arts scenes, I landed the position of the Style Editor of Minnesota Monthly magazine. Around this time, I also co-founded Fashion Week MN—a twice-yearly series of local fashion shows and events—with Sarah Edwards. Since then, I’ve worked as the Fashion Director of Rosedale Center (a shopping mall in the Twin Cities area), and I currently work as a freelance digital copywriter for a major retailer. Last year, I founded my own vintage clothing business, Rosella Vintage, which I run on the side. I also am co-chair of the Walker Art Center’s annual garden party benefit.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
My career path has definitely not been the most smooth or straightforward. When I first started college, journalism seemed like a smart career choice, but the internet changed that. By the time I graduated, I couldn’t find a job in my field, but that gave me the opportunity to forge my own path. I adopted an entrepreneur mentality and found that freelancing was a good way to experiment and try many different things without being committed to a 9-to-5 job. At the time, I felt like I was floundering and feeling directionless, but I learned a lot of skills in my 20s and early 30s that are serving me today in ways I never had anticipated. Freelancing forced me to be nimble, be innovative, develop a wide array of skills to draw upon, and be really good at managing my time. As a freelancer, you are sort of a one-person small business, so you learn a lot of important life skills.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I founded Rosella Vintage last year in the midst of the pandemic. The isolation of the pandemic brought me back in touch with one of my great loves, vintage clothing. I’ve always loved thrifting and going to estate sales, and finding vintage gems. It’s all about the thrill of the hunt, and the research that goes into vintage clothing and learning about its history. Every piece tells a story. I named my business after my grandma Rosella—she was a spitfire who was always put-together even though they didn’t have much money, and she kept her precious pieces for years and years, taking great care of them. A big part of my business is about the inherent sustainability of wearing vintage—mending them, cleaning them, restoring them, bringing them back to life and back into circulation. I think my background as a stylist and working in luxury retail have also influenced my business and sets my brand apart. I really love the idea of clothing from many decades all living together in one wardrobe, and being worn together. That feels very modern to me—you don’t want to look like you’re wearing a period costume. I love looking to the past for inspiration and finding fresh new ways to wear vintage pieces, and I think I really have a knack for it.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You can find me almost any month at the Minneapolis Vintage Market and other vintage pop-ups around the Twin Cities area. I love the community around vintage markets here, everyone is so supportive of one another and it’s like one big, happy, vintage-loving family. I also sell via my Instagram (@rosella.vintage) and Etsy shop (shoprosellavintage.etsy.com). I also participate in the occasional fashion show (including Rose & Bull’s Spring Fashion Week MN show on April 24).
Contact Info:
- Website: rosellavintage.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/rosella.vintage
- Other: rosellavintage.etsy.com
Image Credits
Chris McDuffie
Walker Art Center
Dammel Photographic Works
