Kimi Recor of +>- Vintage
Kimi Recor is a modern day gypsy: Born on the outskirts of Munich, the traveler, musician, vintage collector, artist and writer has lived in Colorado, San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles, where she'll host Space 15 Twenty's Weekly Flea Market this Sunday, March 20 from 11-4pm. Here, she shares the pictures that inspire her and the dirty little secret her vintage clothes are hiding. What do you have planned for your Space 15 Twenty flea market event?
We’re going to have face painting there, and a bunch of people there selling jewelry. It’ll be all of my friends, and all of them are gypsies, so it’s going to have that kind of vibe to it.
Where does the name +>- come from?
Positive Greater Than Negative (+>-) is the name of my blog. Everything the people in my household– which is kind of commune– produce gets put into the blog and the blog promotes them and they promote the blog. I wanted everything to tie into together. It’s kind of my state of mind: If something bad happens, overcome it with something more positive.
So you have a musical background?
I play guitar and sing. I’ve been making music since I was 18-years-old; I’ve lived in San Francisco and New York and L.A., and every time I switched cities I switched musical projects. My music is my number one thing and everything else kind of supports it.
You say that you sell vintage from rock legends. Like who?
The store started when I was living in New York and San Francisco– I used to hang out with a bunch of rocker kids, and we’d all swap clothes. A couple of my friends are in bands that are blowing up, so I was like, “Oh, I totally have their clothes, I should sell them online.” Usually after I wear something once I’m done with it anyway. A lot of the pieces have really interesting stories behind them– like I’ve owned them for three years after my friend wore them on tour for two years straight.
They’re all washed then, right?
Oh yeah, it definitely wouldn’t be okay otherwise.
What was your first experience with vintage clothing?
My grandma gave me this crazy silk kimono jacket from the ‘30s, and I had never had something like that before. I can’t afford to drop $2,000 on something really well made, and vintage is a way you can buy something that’s really well made without having to spend your last dollar.
How has the shop evolved since its inception?
When I first started, it was just 20 pieces of my own clothing that I didn’t really want to donate somewhere, but I didn’t want to keep in my closet. My first 20 pieces sold out in two weeks, so I kept shopping. It’s grown into an actual store, not just me trying to get rid of my clothing.
You source your clothing from all over the world. Where have you traveled so far?
I’m from Germany, so I go to Europe and France a lot. I’ve been to Australia, London– I leave the states at least twice a year.
What’s the best part about shopping in L.A.?
It’s such a diverse city, so you can always find something, especially if you’re thrifting. There’s always a rich lady in Beverly Hills or a Mexican grandma donating her stuff, so most likely you’ll find what you’re looking for.
If you could shop in any decade, what would you stock up on?
It would be a tie between the early 1900s in Louisiana, with the fancy stockings and undergarments, or the 1920s. Anything from the 1920s is amazing– beaded and silk and kind of slutty, but in a good way.
What’s your advice for developing personal style?
Ever-evolving is my personal style. I have the greatest respect for those people who have a set style– they’ve had it and will always have it. For me, I have fashion ADD, so right now I’m really into looking like Brooke Shields in Pretty Baby, but that will change in the next two days. Black has been a constant in my life for a while now. Do what you want and find a muse, something that inspires you, like a movie or a musician.
Which musician would you have loved to style?
I would love to have chosen costumes for The Rolling Stones, especially when they were going through their crazy Victorian revival phase. All of the people I’d want to shop for are already so good at the doing it themselves that they wouldn’t need my help. Maybe I should choose someone who needs my help, like Miley Cyrus. I’d love to help Britney shop– I love her, she’s been there for me since I was 14. I owe her.
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