Eight years for Ecologie
Ecologie celebrated their 8 years in business by opening its doors for a sale. Taking 20 percent off every item in the store, the day full of celebration brought customers from all over Kennesaw to enjoy the vintage clothing and sunny dispositions. “Just because you don’t love something anymore doesn’t mean someone else wont love it,” co-owner Chelsea Marquez said.
October 25, 2018
With warm smiles, delicious cupcakes, and bright balloons filling the storefront, the popular resale vintage shop Ecologie welcomed their patrons to its celebration of eight years with its doors open on Saturday, October 20. To thank their customers, the workers of Ecologie donned their best 80s attire and knocked down their prices by 20 percent.
“We debated back and forth on the price and what we were going to do, but I said ‘you know, our customers really deserve a good percentage because our customers are the reason why we are in business.’ We love our customers—I really think it was a great way to appreciate them,” co-owner Chelsea Marquez said.
Starting only with ambition, small business owners like Chelsea Marquez and Nancie Vann put their names and dreams on the line to follow their hearts. These savvy vendors opened their own shop next to Town Center Mall and called it “Ecologie,” making it a haven for the thrifty and fashionable. Starting from a much smaller location, Ecologie blossomed into a big enough space for the piles of beautiful used and vintage men’s and women’s clothing it takes in daily.
Giving out complimentary cupcakes to customers as they window shopped, the icing-filled faces smiled and the smile holders opened their wallets. This freeing environment began based on the cultural art center Little Five Points, an Atlanta staple community because of the comfort both owners felt in the area. “Her idea was that she [co-owner Nancie Vann] wanted something like Little Five Points, there was nothing like that over here; that was her idea and six months later she opened her store,” Marquez said.
Ecologie and other local businesses support the Kennesaw and Cobb County economies and display the values of the area, making them integral to the community’s foundation. A movement against modern fashion—fast fashion—arises with the prevalence of more people buying their clothes from a second hand store. Juxtaposing the fast fashion central of Town Center Mall, Ecologie emphasizes sustainability and reusing other people’s unwanted items.
“I think a lot of people don’t even realize what fast fashion is and how it impacts our world. Before I worked here, I worked at the mall, and at the time it was when fast fashion was growing. The company changed into a cheaper one so they could push a smaller price point. I think it’s something people didn’t realize was happening because of the market after the economy fell out,” Marquez said.
Building themselves up with support from the community, Ecologie found ways to hold true to their eco-friendly name. Stemming from the French word “écologie” or “ecology” in English, the owners emphasize reducing, reusing, and recycling to help keep the world cleaner and healthier. Uniquely, the store no longer uses plastic bags, reducing waste that accumulates in landfills and oceans around the globe.
Specializing in vintage and gently used items, the store welcomes all styles and ages to shop among their endless racks of clothing. “We cast a large range, people of all ages love fashion and fun eclectic things,” Marquez said.
“We wanted to stop using plastic bags, so we started asking customers if they’d be okay to skip and we would donate the cost of the bags to help students in need at KSU. It was mid-summer, and we cut the legs off some of our denim to make high waisted shorts. We always had some of the denim leftover, and one day Nancie was playing around with it and decided to tie it around a customer’s things, it’s kind of like our signature,” Marquez said.
Filled with individuality, the store welcomes the young and old, grateful to help the community and world around it. The heart in the small store sets it apart and makes it a home for everyone who loves a good deal and good company.
