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FRĒDA WOMAN SERIES: LAUREN HERRERA AND RAYNA BASTA

We’re about all things community, so of course, we love every opportunity to highlight one of our local favorites! This month’s FRĒDA Women, Lauren Herrera and Rayna Basta are the co-founders of Trove–a vintage, vinyl and clothing store in Sonoma, California. We’ve had of pleasure collaborating with Rayna on many things (vintage collections, denim chore coats and more) and loved working with her and Lauren on our latest curated vintage drop. Read on for all things vintage and if you’re ever in the Sonoma area, be sure to check them out!

TELL US ABOUT YOU. 

R: I studied Fashion Marketing in college and began my career in NYC working as an assistant wardrobe stylist at Vogue Japan, then Victoria’s Secret & Tory Burch.  I left NYC to start my vintage company, Born to Roam Vintage, in 2015.  Eventually I got into the world of natural dyeing to bring new life to old clothing and opened my first retail store in San Francisco in 2021. 


L: I studied Fashion Design & Textiles in college for undergrad and started my own screenprinting and graphic design house. After having kids I went back to school for a masters degree in Interior Architecture & Design and led a design team at a Petaluma-based interior design firm for the last five years. Since Trove was conceived, I’ve focused my energy on the store and managing the construction of a home that my husband and I have designed and are building on our property in Sonoma. 

NOW TROVE, WHAT INSPIRED YOU START A COMPANY TOGETHER?

Our kids went to preschool together and after many morning drop offs of admiring each other’s outfits we finally started chatting and realized that we were both vintage-obsessed, fashion educated mamas who had noticed a large gap in the vintage market in our town of Sonoma. After several glasses of wine and peeping each other’s personal vintage collections, our seed of an idea for Trove was planted.  Lauren’s background is in interior architectural design & textiles, Rayna’s is in styling, merchandising & sourcing so it left like we were both bringing a highly compatible different skill set to the table.

We wanted to create a store that presented a high-low aesthetic as well as showcase an array of local female-owned-and-operated brands.  The shop is 90% vintage clothing but we also carry a handful of contemporary brands, vintage jewelry, custom hats, vinyl records, and of course, FRĒDA.

WHAT’S BEEN THE MOST REWARDING PART?

It has been a pleasure to create a business that fills a need in the community.  Sonoma is a small town but there are a ton of fashionable folks that live locally and the tourism here is massive. The Sonoma Plaza consists mostly of tasting rooms & restaurants so we’re excited to provide a completely different offering.

TALK TO US ABOUT THE SOURCING PROCESS.

Sourcing is our favorite part!  Finding treasure for Trove is constant and we do it through many channels. We work with a few vintage wholesalers for the bulk of our assortment.  We also purchase through auctions and estate sales. We do some consignment with a handful of chic ladies and gents locally. Rayna has been sourcing vintage clothing for over a decade but the vinyl record hunting is new for both of us and it has been such a joy to learn more about old pressings on wax.

THOUGHTS ON THE GROWING VINTAGE TREND?

We couldn’t be more excited that vintage/second-hand shopping is growing as a trend! The more we learn about how harmful contemporary and fast fashion is to the planet, the less it makes sense to us to buy new things. Old clothing was just made better period; better quality of fibers, better construction, old things were made to last. We’ve noticed with older generations in the shop that there is some confusion between what constitutes vintage vs. used/second hand, however, the younger generations get it and the youth is what controls the future. It makes us both so happy that young people are excited about vintage and less interested in supporting fast fashion.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO SHOP VINTAGE?

We read recently that there is enough clothing currently on the planet to clothe the next 10 generations.  That essentially means that all clothing production could halt for 100 years and there would still be plenty of clothing for all. Thinking about how much waste from clothing exists on the planet makes both of us sad. Being environmentally conscious in today’s world means understanding the supply chains that the items we purchase go through.  The clothing industry is the second biggest polluter on the planet.  Selling and buying vintage clothing is the best way to offset the harm that the clothing industry creates.  

Vintage pieces are so special because they are little pieces of history. When we first opened we had a huge collection of Lauren’s grandmother’s clothing she had collected through a lifetime of travels.  Finding new homes for these items felt so full circle. We both love pattern, texture, color and the uniqueness of vintage garments. Chances are, if you’re wearing vintage, no one else is going to show up wearing the same thing.

HOW DO YOU STYLE VINTAGE?

We both wear vintage everyday.  Lauren is more 60s/70s, she’s usually wearing a bell bottom with a high brow statement like a Gucci loafer. She’s also a knitwear junkie and textile enthusiast. Rayna is more 70s/90s, she’s a denim fanatic and lives in vintage made in USA 501s with rock tees and boots. She likes to pattern clash and is more workwear focused.  We both style our vintage with gold earrings & rings, broad brim & fisherman hats and a sprinkle of designer items.

WHO ARE SELLERS YOU FOLLOW?

We’re obsessed with The Rajah Press for all things vintage fine jewelry.  We love Body Philosophy Club in SF, Rose & Rae Vintage in Sebastopol, Here Studio in Oakland, Xelkom for reworked vintage in Berkeley and Upperline Vintage for vintage homegoods.

HOW DO YOU BUILD COMMUNITY WITH TROVE?

We’ve been hosting monthly popups in the shop and inviting other local makers and curators into the space to sell their goods.  Because Sonoma is wine country there is usually a wine component to each pop up.  We’ve got some exciting ones in the works for February & March.

WHAT PIECES IN YOUR CLOSET MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD?

R: My all-time feel good vintage pieces in my closet are my dad’s old vintage tees.  I’ve had to retire a few because they’re becoming too thread bare to wear any longer.

L: My vintage Tom Petty tees have a very special place in my heart, I’m flooded with family memories every time I put one on. I’m also overcome with nostalgia every time I put on anything that belonged to one of my grandparents.

 

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