Cover Section: Fresh Finds

Meet the Columbus vintage clothing fashionista boasting her own one-of-akind streetwear shop

By Molly Hammond / Photos by Jen Brown / Story Design by Tori Smith

Shayla Boyd was known by her high school acquaintances as the “freshest” and “flyest” girl in school, often walking in with vintage Nike windbreakers, Levi’s mom jeans and old-school Calvin Klein. Classmates took notice of her timeless wardrobe choices and began addressing her in the hallways, asking about where she bought the pieces that made her stand out to the whole school.

Boyd realized there was a true market for vintage clothing from then on. After all, she had students trying to buy items straight off her back. But Boyd's fashion taste didn't just spark one day; her business came from an enduring love of all things vintage.

“I grew up watching 90’s sitcoms, from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to Family Matters,” Shayla explained. “They had a huge influence on me from a young age. I adored the way that the characters dressed and how they used fashion as a way to express themselves.”

Not only did fashion come easily to Boyd, but she also had the chance to study it. After graduating from The Ohio State University with a degree in fashion and retail, she quickly realized that she didn’t want to work for anybody else. In order to make her clothing store dreams become a reality, she knew she wanted to make her own decisions for a business. Thus, Street2Vintage was born.

Offering apparel from the 70’s to the 2000's, Street2Vintage also lets customers sift through one-of-a-kind options, like Prada archive pieces, Rick Owens, and more. When Boyd runs across these pieces, she has a relationship with her customers where she can call them up and give them first dibs on the unique finds.

Street2Vintage is focused on individuality more than anything else, something that came easily to Boyd at a young age. “I didn’t like having things that other kids in my school had on—I didn’t want to look like them,” said Boyd. “I think that is something that my customers appreciate. Other vintage stores in Columbus can feel more niche-based where we just try to have pieces on the racks for each person that walks through the doors.”

Located blocks away from German Village along the Parsons Avenue corridor, Street2Vintage has a Columbus-first mentality. The store hosts a Small Business Saturday each week, where four to six small Columbus businesses can come in and set up pop-up shops in the store. The event gives other small businesses a chance to get their name out into the community. Boyd believes heavily in shopping small and supporting local businesses.

“The Columbus community is really important to me,” she said. “So far, I’ve had all positive feedback. I know multiple customers by name and have the chance to stir up friendly conversations every time I see them. It’s great to hear from them about the love they have for my store and the quality of items that I’ve handpicked.”