Today we’d like to introduce you to Jess Van Den Bosch
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always LOVED clothes. I grew up in the suburbs of LA and was a huge mall kid. My understanding of fashion when I was young revolved around what was presented to me by big chain stores and their catalogs (I LOVED a good catalog)- the fanciest store we had was a Nordstrom, which was next to the Sanrio store, which was next to a Wetzel’s Pretzels. Nothing brought me more joy than hitting all three.
When my mom was little, her family emigrated to Los Angeles from Mexico. My grandma worked as a seamstress, and for as long as I can remember, every time we’d go over to her house, she’d always be working on some sort of sewing or knitting project (or multiple) in her crowded little studio- sometimes for clients, sometimes for us, sometimes for herself. She pretty much only wears her own creations. Everyone’s always said I owe my love of fashion and any/all quirkiness I may possess to her. I mostly agree.
I moved to San Diego for college. My parents’ master plan was for me to have a well-paying, stable career as a nurse, since I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted to do with my life. I was SO uninterested in my nursing school pre-requistite classes and flunked all of them the first semester. More directionless than ever, I decided to study fashion after that. My parents were horrified with my decision, and almost threated to pull me out of school completely, convinced there was no possible way I was going to graduate with any job prospects. By the grace of God, I landed an internship with Nordstrom for visual styling and merchandising at the end of my senior year, which then turned into my first full time job.
Around this time, I started posting clothes I didn’t want anymore for sale on Depop. I didn’t think much of it at the time, other than that it was a really chill way to earn extra money. It was also nice to know that if I bought something and was ready to pass it on, I could easily do that, and most likely at a profit. Even though I got an employee discount at Nordstrom, I hardly ever shopped there. Seeing all of the merchandise being unboxed and hauled out by the masses every morning opened my eyes to the fact that even most brands there were hardly more than fast fashion, and the thought of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on the designer items I DID want seemed super reckless with my modest salary. After almost 5 years, I decided that I actually didn’t prioritize the fashion industry in the same ways that a lot of my counterparts did, and that the corporate structure of that environment really wasn’t for me. Burnt out and disillusioned, I left to persue other interests that felt more meaningful. It was time for the mall kid to grow up.
I’d been thrifting for years at this point, but the older I got, the more I realized that my childhood obsession with cruising the mall had been replaced with op shop treasure hunts. The possibility of finding high quality, unique, hand made, and potentially even designer vintage pieces at fractions of their original prices was a thrill every time. By 2021, I’d amassed a decent amount of followers on Depop, and decided to start taking it a bit more seriously. I think the way I modeled and styled items as part of full outfits set me apart from the majority of other sellers, who typically just took photos of items on hangers or laid out flat on the floor. I was moving through the pieces in my personal collection quite quickly, and began buying things with the intent to resell them. Mind Garden Vintage was born! It was scary at the time, because I was no longer working for Nordstrom, and didn’t have a lot of extra money to invest in sourcing. My one rule was that I would only acquire pieces I loved and wanted to wear myself- it would all essentially be an extention of my own closet. I didn’t want to be stuck with anything too trendy or outdated on the off chance I couldn’t sell it. And I still stand by that! I don’t buy anything I’m not excited to style or integrate into my existing wardrobe.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As anyone with a small business- particularly in retail- knows, you’re constantly riding the ups and downs of life. Everything is always changing and shifting. It can be so exhilarating and rewarding one day, and then so extremely humbling the next.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I source clothing, shoes, and accessories from the 1930s-2000s and re-imagine their possibilities as part of a modern wardrobe. Since its inception on Depop, I’ve brought Mind Garden out of the app and all around Southern California, booking vintage markets and pop ups. I now have a website of my own, which serves as a selling platform and mini blog of sorts (where you can find playlists, inspiration, and other little tidbits). Every few weeks I post new vintage collections for sale first in my Instagram stories, then list the items that are left over to my site and Depop. If you’d like a more tailored-to-you experience, I offer Style Bundles, which are specially curated vintage collections sourced with your specific tastes, budget, and style in mind. These are so fun to put together! It’s basically like personal shopping.
The way everything is styled is still the most important part of Mind Garden to me and what I’m most proud of- it’s my purest form of self expression. I love the mixing and layering of both masculine and feminine pieces from all different decades to form outfits that feel current and wearable, yet don’t check any one trend or aesthetic box. And it’s not really something that I can plan out too much- sometimes I try to put looks together before I begin shooting a collection, but most of it just happens on the fly as I get into the groove. I like to let the items that are around me at any particular moment inspire me, especially when it comes to accessory choices, and I love the incorporation of found objects like shells and rocks. It’s the absolute best feeling when someone wants to purchase an entire outfit as I’ve styled it! Within the last year, I’ve also started styling for other brands (something I hope to do much more of) and offering Mind Garden pieces for loan on shoots.
In addition to my online offering, an exclusive collection of Mind Garden Vintage is currently available to shop every day in-store at AYI in South Park as part of their ‘Guest in Residence’ series. It’s a dream to support and be supported by other women in San Diego doing cool things, and Carly and her team are the coolest!
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I make a really mean baked mac and cheese.
Pricing:
- Style Bundles- $150 and up
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mindgardenvintage.com
- Instagram: @mindgardenvintage
Image Credits
Guzel Khos
Tayla Grainger
Jess van den Bosch
