Meet Janet Park of Primarie Studios

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janet Park.

Hi Janet, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! I’m Janet, and I run an online vintage shop! It’s taken a while to get here, but to start, I had always been interested in the arts, and I knew from a young age that I wanted to be in a creative field. This interest manifested in my hobbies in high school, which included photography, sewing, and drawing. I would coerce my friends and family to dress up in outfits I had styled, created little backdrops at home, and direct photoshoots for the fun of it.

When it became time to submit college applications, I applied to a handful of schools as an art major and some as a more ‘normal’ major- and promptly got rejected from every art program. Taking that as a sign that the art world was not for me, I decided on a school and major that felt right at the time, not knowing what I wanted to pursue as a career.

Eventually, I got my first job as a social media coordinator at a small clothing brand and was able to experience what it was like to work in the fashion industry. While I thoroughly enjoyed assisting in photoshoots, working with content creators, and even styling flatlays for our social media channels, I wasn’t passionate about my work. Ultimately, I realized I was working on someone else’s vision and not my own.

After a few years as a social media coordinator, I transitioned into working at my family’s business. My position allowed for little creativity, and I struggled with the routine nature of the work. While I was immensely thankful to work with my family, I came in every day feeling restless. I was afraid that I would disappoint my parents if I left, and so I stayed, all the while growing an interested in thrifting and secondhand fashion. To ease my creative itch, I started Primarie Studios, an online vintage shop, in June of 2022, and would work on it whenever I had the time.

Once the restlessness became unbearable, I finally asked my parents if I could pursue this business full-time, and to my surprise, they were enthusiastic! They had seen how I struggled with my current work and wanted me to pursue a career more suited for my interests.

While it has only been about three months since going full-time, I have felt the full spectrum of emotions of owning my own business. The highs are higher and the lows are lower, but in the end, it’s been both challenging, exciting, frustrating, and fun. I’m still learning new things every day!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been both exactly what I expected and nothing like what I expected. I knew that starting a vintage shop would have different challenges compared to other retail businesses, but I didn’t realize how that would play out until I went full-time.

The main issue I’ve encountered is how much work is required to sell a single item. Typically, a business is selling large quantities of a single product, but since I’m selling one-of-a-kind vintage, I have to be out three times a week or more scouring my local thrift stores and rag houses for apparel that my customers enjoy. There’s an added burden in that there is no guarantee that you’ll find items that are appropriate for your shop.

I will also will have days where I don’t get any sales, and I start to re-think all my life choices. When that sale finally comes in, I sigh a breath of relief! While I know sales come in waves, it’s always hard to keep that in perspective when you so badly want your business to thrive.

That’s both the beauty and the burden of owning your own small business- you have complete freedom over your work- to set your schedule, to create that vision. But that also means that when something goes wrong, it’s entirely on you to find a solution or pivot your plan to something that works.

While the challenges are many, I consider it a privilege and joy to be able to do what I love. The support and encouragement of my friends and family have been incredibly heartwarming, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Primarie Studios is an online vintage shop based out of Los Angeles, California, and was founded in June of 2022. We specialize in everyday vintage apparel from the 90s to early 2000s for men and women, all of which are personally curated, cleaned, and mended by me.

Vintage is fun and exciting, but it can be intimidating to dive into the world of shopping secondhand, so I do my best to make that process seamless. I focus on serving my customers well by responding promptly to messages, shipping quickly, and providing clear photos and detailed descriptions so they know exactly what they’ll be receiving.

While I primarily operate my shop online, you can also visit us at the pop-ups we have at flea markets all across Los Angeles and the South Bay. Follow along on our socials to know which markets Primarie Studios will be attending- we can’t wait to meet you!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://primariestudios.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primariestudios/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@primariestudios
• Other: https://www.depop.com/primariestudios/