It’s Monday 6th April and were back again with another Amekosa Interviews and this time it’s the turn of the most amazing Queen of Threads. Not only did I meet Block P (the most recent interviewed seller) through Depop but the same goes for Queen Of Threads too. All courtesy of Depop’s Community Leader Programme. Again, taking it back to February 2018 and now over two years later coming together to bring you “the community” some great in-depth insight into her world.
For now, I’m going to keep the lady behind Queen of Threads secret and I’ll let you find out just who she is if you don’t know already. So, without further ado lets delve deeper into Queen of Threads…
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1. To ease the readers in nicely like we always do lets kick it off with you letting us know who you are and just what exactly it is that you do? Oh and tell us your most recent fad too?
Hey Dario! I’m Helen and I run Queen of Threads. We sell mostly womenswear and vintage but I also offer menswear, designer and vintage cameras and homeware too. My friend once said I’m like a Depop Doomsday Prepper because I have all you could ever need in one shop….Something I’m pushing right now is vintage accessories – I’ve been listing a lot of 90s and Y2K hats which have been fun to source and sell.
2. I know you’ve had your store for a long time now and it’s safe to say you’re definitely a Depop OG. So just exactly how long have you been selling for and what first drew you to get into selling also?
Ha, you make me sound ancient! I’ve been in the game since I finished uni so around 12 years now. And yes, defo an OG, I’ll have been part of Depop for 6 years this month, since April 2014. As you know I’m also a community leader and so the app is a big part of both my business and personal life.
I’ve always loved vintage and secondhand fashion and shopping. I’ve been going to car boots with my Dad since I was a kid and it’s something we still do together now. I had a pretty big collection of vintage and when I moved to a tiny flat in Shoreditch with my boyfriend after finishing studying, I realised I needed to shift some of it to make some room and discovered eBay (disclaimer, Depop didn’t exist then!). I was amazed at how well it sold and soon made the jump to buying to sell. Within a pretty short time I was making more from reselling than I was from my sales job so I went to the bank, got myself a start up loan of £1000, registered as self employed and haven’t looked back since.
3. Having been in the game for around 12 years now, I can imagine you’ve seen vintage develop and take its twists and turns. With your 12 years of wisdom could you give us your view on how you’ve seen vintage change over the years?
The biggest change I’ve seen is how mainstream vintage is now. When I started, I think vintage was still quite a niche thing. Now most people will have at least a couple of vintage pieces in their wardrobe which is a great thing. Sustainable fashion is now a choice people are consciously making. Of course the more popular vintage becomes for buyers, the more popular it is to sell, so the amount of vintage stores both online and on the high street has completely blown up since I started – Depop is the biggest example of that and it’s amazing to see so many incredible sellers are building businesses in the sector.
4. There are gems out there by the dozen, personally I’d say it’s being in the right place at the right time and also being perseverant alongside. Let us know the best item you’ve found over the years has been?
I’d agree with you there and would also add that networking and making contacts also helps. That way the gems can sometimes come to you…
I’ve found some absolute bangers over the years but the ones that stand out would be a vintage 90s Vivienne Westwood suit that I got for £1, an original WW2 flying jacket and my favourite – a vintage Louis Vuitton Noe Bucket Bag. You’d better believe I kept that for myself…
5. From brown leather jackets to full Adidas tracksuits all the way over to Leopard print kitten heeled shoes. The possibilities for selling are endless but if you could only sell one type of item ever again what would it be and why?
That is such a tough question. I personally get the biggest buzz from finding and selling vintage womenswear designer pieces so if I had to choose, I’d go with that. Suits in particular, again, due to, personal style and preference.
6. Your passion for vintage and second hand is definitely clear to see, who wouldn’t have such a love after doing it for the number of years you have? However, imagine this all wasn’t what it is and you couldn’t run your store. What would you be doing right now instead?
It’s so weird to imagine doing anything else. I’ve always been happiest doing creative things but I’m also a definite businesswoman so anything that would combine the two. PR maybe or advertising. Running my own agency, naturally.
7. There’s nothing like inside knowledge so for all the readers so we’d love to know the most exciting thing you’ve got coming within 2020?
Well, I achieved a big dream at the end of 2019 and moved into a beautiful studio/office space so being able to expand my operation to the level I’ve wanted to for the past couple, of years is definitely the most exciting thing for me. I’m taking on a couple of employees and really looking forward to some big growth.
As part of that, I’ll be looking to create more content for social media so you can look forward to lots of behind the scenes videos about how that process of that expansion will take shape. That’s if we’re ever allowed out of the house! This quarantine could not have happened at a worse time for me but I’m staying positive and looking forward to better things and better times.
8. Everyone knows that online is so prolific and only getting bigger by the minute right now but could we one day see a Queen Of Threads brick and mortar store and if so where would you love to have your store? If not, why would you say you want to just stick to online?
Well I actually DID have a bricks and mortar store! For 5 years, 2011-2016. I really loved it but during the last couple of years I was selling far more online than I was from the high street footfall the shop was getting and so it was a no-brainer for me to fully commit to online selling once our lease finished. For now, I’m super happy with my studio space where I can work without distraction and the numbers are definitely better – so I can’t see us moving back to the high street anytime soon.
9. Selling isn’t just all sunshine and rainbows, but the love will never stop! So, what for you is on the other side of that love? What one thing is your biggest gripe with selling?
Oh, you know me Dario, I’m only ever sunshine, rainbows and love! I genuinely love my job and all its facets but my God, I cannot stand ironing. Loathe it, hate it, avoid it for as long as possible. Anyone who has ever received a big bale or pallet of vintage knows that it usually needs a good wash and iron before listing and I’m really not a fan of that part of the process. However, I just bought a bad ass steamer that is honestly a game changer and I recommend everybody gets one – saves so much time and is great for heavier garms like coats and jackets too.
10. It’s sad to see this come to an end but let’s end it with some value. There’s nothing like a life lesson and learning is definitely a key to opening many doors so give us one piece of life advice that we could use to better ourselves?
If you have something you want to achieve – create a mindset to visualise it, a process to get there and then be consistent in order to reach it.
Once again we’ve gone on another journey getting to know another seller and damn this has definitely been one with some great content. I can definitely say it’s been a pleasure to have you Helen and you’ve now taken the medal for the seller with most time served and it definitely shows! You’ve been dope!
Much Love, Dario
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AMEKOSA 