Vogue features Trinidadina model’s vintage clothing shop in New York

The magazine lauded her shop as an ode to all things T&T and “a portal into the Caribbean right in the heart of Downtown NYC.”

(Looptt) Michelene Auguste is giving New Yorkers a taste of the Caribbean this summer with her vintage boutique, Dem.

Michelene, a Trinidadian model who opened the shop in May, was recently featured by Vogue magazine, who got an in-depth look into how her love for all things vintage turned into a storefront.

As a new model trying to make a name for herself in the business, she said she was advised to add more designer labels to her wardrobe in order to keep up with her peers in the industry.

“My agency said, ‘Oh, you need to have a Chanel bag.’ So I started collecting vintage in London and Paris mostly because I needed to have expensive things.” This quickly turned into a personal passion and eventually a side hustle. She had an online store for some time before opening a physical storefront. “I just got really excited about finding these treasures that have so much history. At the time I was just like, oh it’s a nice hobby, but I also needed to make money.”

Michelene is the granddaughter of the late dance icon Molly Ahye, who she said was her inspiration. “[My grandmother] was a maker of everything. She would make all our clothes, teach us to tie-dye and paint. She really inspired me.”

Read more at: Looptt

Source: CARICOM TODAY