SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS
Grow it, Fix it, “Fancy” it, Reuse it!
Those words are etched in our founder’s memory. In order to tell the story about sustainability at Salvage Renaissance, one must go back to Mary Zegarac Epner's roots. Mary grew up on a farm in the Midwest. Her maternal grandmother Marguerite and paternal grandfather Eli heavily influenced what would become Mary’s work ethic. Marguerite raised eight children, mostly as a single mother in Port Byron, Illinois. She cooked, cleaned, mended, and volunteered. During the FDR administration, she became a Postmistress, appointed by Postmaster James Farley (think about a woman nabbing that kind of job during WWII). Eli, a Serbian immigrant, used his brother's passport to get to the U.S. He worked for the Rock Island Railroad and John Deere. These factory jobs would eventually allow Eli to enjoy one of his favorite pastimes: farming. He grew tomatoes for Heinz Ketchup and other crops to give away to neighbors. Both grandparents had to be resourceful because money was tight for awhile. They had to make the most of what they owned and would ask whether the item could be fixed, reused, or made to look fancy, in some way. As a fixture at the Congregational Church, Marguerite always wanted to look her best. She used embroidery, knitting, crocheting, trims, buttons, and new patterns to repair what she already had...in her words, to "fancy it." It was inevitable that Mary would use these lessons as she embarked on a fashion career after college. She has enjoyed a long career in NYC, working for many of the best department stores and brands. She combined her childhood lessons and professional experience to create Salvage Renaissance and is joined by former colleagues, industry experts, childhood friends, and budding fashionistas to make this a reality.
100% of the merchandise on this site is pre-owned. We collected coveted brands, silhouettes, and unique items. Somebody, somewhere decided they were finished with them. So, we acquired them through purchases, donations, and/or an agreement of a revenue split. Once we had the merchandise, we:
- Assessed the item
- Cleaned it
- Repaired it
- Re-imagined it
We went through points 1 & 2 for every item you see on the site. For some of the merchandise where we saw potential, we had it repaired and/or re-designed. Mary worked with her longtime friend and colleague, designer Michael Babb, to create a process to put this idea into action. If an item was slated for points 3 & 4, we solicited the talents of many U.S.-based artisans and seamstresses. You will see their stories in our blog. They helped us make this merchandise look new, with fashion direction and inspiration in color, silhouette, and style provided by Michael.
Many ask us where we find our merchandise. Sometimes, friends ready to part with old clothing gave them to us. And when you have friends in the fashion industry, their closets contain treasures. We found other treasures at Goodwill stores, garage sales, and thrift shops throughout New York, Illinois, Iowa, California, and Texas. On this topic, we must acknowledge Laurie Morris-Nelson for helping us land some of our favorite items on the site.
So, drawing on the influence of Mary’s grandparents, we fixed and fancied them, with the intent that someone will reuse it. And it's ready to wear or use the day you receive it from us.