Why Cherub and Jiggythings Season 2
Thank you Shane and Justin for inviting me to preview the second instalment of your pop-up.
I chatted with the runners of Death Threads, verifiable OGs, and Loop Garms, who’ve committed to business full-time. Then, I visited Shane and Justin, owners of closely collaborative brands Cherub x Jiggythings, preparing for the second instalment of their collaborative pop-up.
Cherub x Jiggythings feels like baby cousins to their established counterparts, yet more legitimate than your friend’s wannabe online store. “They’re always called Retro-something,” Shane commented.
They had 10 racks; some stuffed in their cubicle of a store, others displayed outside, against a pretty wall of climbing plants. Black hangers meant you were picking something from Cherub; wooden hangers belonged to Jiggythings.
We sat in what must have been kids’ chairs, which somehow felt appropriate. We chatted resourcefulness, improvement, “the trend.”
Why sell?
Justin: Wanted to clear my wardrobe. Sold well. Based stock on what buyers wanted more of. Uploaded consistently: >15 posts a day. Selling vintage clothing online is “easy”; Instagram makes it more friendly.
I want Jiggythings to be the “mama shop,” go-to of vintage clothing. Whatever they want, they can find from me.
Shane: People on Instagram were asking where I shopped. Shopped a lot online. Wanted to build a brand apart from me, that people would be proud to buy from. Sold a vintage YSL jacket, used profit to buy more. Shared pics of celebs wearing the same pieces I was selling.
Justin: Grew a following as “guests” under other vintage stores. Decided we should rent a space, drive our business. We stay near each other, near our store [at Balestier].
1st vs 2nd pop-up.
Shane: We expected a decent queue. 10 minutes before opening, there were 2 people loitering. Slowly, people came. Our store was occupied the rest of the day.
We needed more stock. On Friday, we had 7 racks. By Saturday, the store was pretty empty. This time, we have 10 racks.
Justin: We’re bringing in a new selection of clothes, no repeats. We’ve drinks, chairs outside our store: people can cool down, socialise, take photos.
Lessons?
Justin: Time management. Talking to customers, suppliers. Business. More involved in streetwear scene. Sense of humour.
Shane: Connections are important. Branding for social media. Find what’s different, make it.
