Imani Jahaan
Curator and owner of Imani Jahaan Vintage
For Imani Jahaan, vintage clothing is a way to connect with the past and to feel empowered for the future.
Sharing this joy for garments from yesteryear is part of her role as the curator and owner of Imani Jahaan Vintage, an e-commerce endeavor (imanijahaan.com) she started nearly four years ago. She’s also a familiar face at local events, including participating in Made + Found Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Vintage Mixer with her fashion discoveries in tow. Plus, she’s a rising makeup artist and stylist who’s worked on indie movies and photo shoots.
What sets her apart from other vintage vendors in the city is her focus on offering pieces for a range of body types — something that can be a challenge at times.
“Being a plus-size woman with a bust, hips and waist — my body type existed back then, so there has to be those pieces out there,” says Ms. Jahaan, 28, a Philadelphia native who resides in East Liberty.
“We want color, we want quality, we want to feel sexy and feminine. I just love bringing those pieces that encompass all of those things to the shop.”
She traces her fashion inspiration to her aunt. “She was well traveled and well versed in different cultures. The way she dressed was a reflection of that,” Ms. Jahaan said. “Sometimes when I have nothing to say, I put an outfit together that says what I want to get across. It’s always been a source of expression for me.”
While studying business at the University of Pittsburgh Bradford, she took up thrifting. When she ran out of room to store things in her small dorm room, she starting hanging her vintage gems on the walls like art. Other students took notice.
“They’d ask, ‘Are you selling that stuff? What’s the deal?’”
She took photos of pieces with her cellphone and posted them for sale on websites like Etsy.
“I started getting sales from all over the country,” she said. “People were looking at my stuff in Hawaii and Los Angeles. That was my first taste of people liking what I was doing.”
She enjoys the challenge of the hunt, which takes her to flea markets and estate sales near and far.
“My heart really stays in the ’70s,” she said, although she also carries pieces from the ’80s and more recent decades, with the occasional ’50s find sprinkled in.
“I just feel like black beauty and black glamour was at its height. Natural hair was really huge and really celebrated at that time, and that’s typically how I wear my hair. I just love their boldness and them being unapologetic.”