Check Out Lindsey Zilliox’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Zilliox.

Hi Lindsey, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been wearing and collecting vintage since I was in junior high in the nineties, starting with my dad’s old tees and jeans and I’ve just never stopped. The love of vintage never faded, and I continued to wear and collect throughout my life. Although I was a teacher and then a merchandiser, I continued to collect and started an Etsy shop and would work on it in my off time. About 10 years ago, I quit my merchandising job and decided to sell vintage full-time. It started with smaller pop-ups in Costa Mesa, evolving into permanent vendor at Rose Bowl and other pop-ups around Southern California. And now I’ve kind of evolved again focusing on markets that suit me more, selling on online platforms such as whatnot and brick and mortar spaces.

Through the pop-ups, I was asked to join the collective Mojave Flea in Yucca Valley and I am now in that space and in MARKET MARKET in Palm Springs. I’ve been in those spaces a few years and and love it. But, I continue to find ways to evolve and continue to challenge myself which has lead to my next adventure…a studio space with my friend, Lynn.

Our studio is in the Santora Arts Building in downtown Santa Ana. Our studio, Lynn & Lou Studios, is inspired by floral and apothecary shops in Europe and Japan. Our space will be used to host events, photo shoots and, obviously, a place to shop. We will have antique furniture and smalls, and vintage clothing all inspired by the outdoors and gardening, along with some in-house made products and florals. We are currently working on finishing up the space and will be hosting an opening event in the near future.

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?
Define smooth road! Nothing ever is completely smooth, right?

I think the biggest struggles are to stay motivated and not to burn out.

When working for yourself it’s sometimes hard to set those boundaries of work time personal time because your brain is always going, How can I make this better? What can I do differently?

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
When it comes to selling vintage , it is often a one person show. So for me, I do the majority of my sourcing (my mom helps too), I clean and mend pieces, I’m the photographer and the stylist, I’m the merchandiser…you get the gist.

Styling and merchandising have always been my favorite part of my job. I love creating vignette that tells a story. But the best part of my job is being able to have a space where people feel inspired, safe, and curious about exploring who they are or how they want to present using clothing.

How do you think about happiness?
Nature makes me happy. It’s beautiful, intimidating, unknowable, diverse, and every evolving.

It’s the most inspiring thing in the entire world.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Louellabasil

Image Credits
Personal photo by Austin Armbruster