Sage Cycle
Founder, Lauren Dela Calzada
Out with the old, in with the older. Vintage and secondhand shopping is trending amongst the world these days. Finding old designer clothing is like finding a pot of gold. Lauren, one of my best friends with amazing style, curated a collection of gold nuggets to make vintage accessible for anyone.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how Sage Cycle came to be.
It all started when I was in elementary school, my grandma would take me to the thrift store to pick out anything I wanted. Over the years, my connection with thrifting has grown and has always stuck with me. In high school, I began thrifting on my own and it wasn’t till I went to college that I realized there was a market for vintage and secondhand clothing. But thrifting was like a sport, you'd have to dig through tons of clothes for hours to find good pieces. Some people don't have the time or patience for that so I thought; what if I hand-pick all of the great pieces, style them, and resell them at an affordable price? People wouldn’t have to spend the time looking around for hours, but still be able to select from exclusive vintage pieces.
What do you look for when it comes to hand-picking pieces?
I first look for textures, fabrics, and colors that would stick out to me. Once I pull out a piece from the rack I pay attention to the silhouette of the garment. I try to imagine the story behind it and who might’ve owned it before. How have they might've styled it?
When it comes to sorting through denim jeans, I first look at the tag on the back to see the brand’s name. I search for interesting details such as a unique cut or stitching technique.
Keeping in mind what's on trend at the moment is important. I want it to be as easy as possible for people to find what they like through Sage Cycle.
In what ways is Sage Cycle sustainable?
Sourcing second hand pieces is the most sustainable way to buy clothing. Whether that's through thrift shopping, or friends would donate pieces that they no longer want. If people don't want to shop in person, customers can shop online. With online sales, we send orders with eco-friendly packaging. That means using every resource I already have. For example, using scratch paper for writing thank you letters, reuse wrapping, etc... With some pieces, I try to up-cycle them by elevating it. That could mean sewing it to flatter your body more, adding buttons and new details, dyeing it, and essentially altering it to fit more of your style.
What is Sage Cycle’s mission and some of your goals?
The mission I have with Sage Cycle is to make it accessible and affordable to everyone. With vintage designer clothing, people who are in the same market as I am mark it up heavily. As a "broke college student", I want exclusive vintage clothing to be more affordable and have a sense of community. The goal is to bridge that gap between the consumer and vintage resellers. I feel like a lot of people do it because they know they can make a lot of money, but for me, I want to do it for the joy and sharing amazing pieces with people.
So what is next for Sage Cycle?
Short term, I would like to create more and not just curate. Be more hands-on with the pieces and up-cycle them. I'd like to do natural dyes, learn how to alter and sew, collect patches and customize outerwear. I hope to do more pop-up events to gain exposure, and also start my own website to step away from third-party selling. Additionally, I think it would be cool to do collaborations with other businesses and individuals to bring artistic visions to life.
Long term, I would like to create Sage Space. A space for all artists, small businesses, creators, chefs, to showcase their talents. It's my dream to bring together a community of all kinds of creators to share with each other their dreams and passions.
For more of Lauren and Sage Cycle you can find her on instagram @thesagecycle