Meet Alexis Kingery of Shop Blue Dream in Koreatown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Kingery.

Alexis, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started in January 2016 out of Chicago, IL. Fed up with service industry woes and demanding hours outside of my control, I wanted to jump into a field where I was not only my own boss but doing something I loved, thus Shop Blue Dream / @shopbluedream was born. My shop is meant to be felt as an extension of my own style, a way to get the look, for a reasonable price, all hand-picked by me.

I source from everywhere, thrift stores to countless hours on eBay, to find the perfect garments, vintage and contemporary, to provide to my clients. Periodically I hold pop-up shops out of friends’ galleries, my apartment, and more, to present a way to see, feel, and try on the garments in person. My shop has been recognized twice by Paper Magazine, once in its own standalone feature, and another mention from my friend, @uglyworldwide, as one of her sources for her closet, and once by Vogue.com as one of the best Instagram vintage pages.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has definitely been a crazy ride along the way, I used Shop Blue Dream to support not only itself but my own personal finances for the first few years, causing a lot of freelancer panic that most people who are self-employed feel. There is no guarantee each week when I post (I post every Friday,) that anything will sell at all, I rely massively on my amazing repeat clientele who anxiously await my drops weekly. There have been “drops” as I call them, that have completely bombed after spending hundreds of dollars in preparation, you have to take it all in strides and really, really think if people are going to receive it the way you envision, and not let it get to you if it doesn’t. Recently I’ve taken on a second job, to help ease the financial stress of living in Los Angeles, but am still running the store passionately, posting weekly.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Shop Blue Dream story. Tell us more about the business.
My shop is meant to be an extension and representation of my own personal style, so whatever I fancy at the moment (for example, right now I’m big on lingerie tops and corset tanks from the 2000s, brown/blue colors, micromesh tops reminiscent of Gaultier, and two piece sets for the store.) People have known me for many things throughout the years, there was an era of 80s dresses, then prairie/romantic/Victorian dresses, and now it’s a 2000s era with some shopbluedream vintage classics scattered in here and there. I think what sets me apart from others is the personalization of my shop, I listen to my client base, if they want more of a certain item, I’ll look for that type of item. Whereas some shops may post what they think will sell, I’m usually posting from a point of personal taste and influence, hoping for reception. The vogue mention was the most unexpected, and flattering, thing to happen to my shop so far. Second to the paper mag mention + being a featured seller for Depop Live’s first event two months ago in NYC.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I would say luck is on my side most of the time due to my very calculated nature, and if there ever is an issue, I try to fix it to the best of my abilities.

Pricing:

• Tops/Tanks/Shirts: $22-$28
• Dresses: $28-$60
• Bottoms: $22-$30

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @shopbluedream

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