Business
BY DACIA GARCIA
Best friends Audrie San Miguel and Emily Larson started the business in 2005.
COURTESY PROTOTYPE VINTAGE PHOTO BY DANIEL CAVAZOS
All items in both locations are curated by San Miguel and Larson with help from long-term vendors.
DACIA GARCIA COMMUNITY IMPACT
Austin’s Prototype Vintage launches second location
Shoppers can nd a variety of apparel from dresses and shoes to sunglasses and jackets.
Austin’s North Loop neighborhood has gained another locally owned vintage spot with the recent opening of Prototype Vintage’s second location. The shop is spreading its roots from its rst loca- tion on the tourist hub of South Congress Avenue to a classic neighborhood shaped by generations of Austinites. How it came to be The business is owned by longtime best friends Audrie San Miguel and Emily Larson. The duo launched their rst location on South Congress in 2005 after previously meeting at a North Loop block party. With their hands full curating inventory for the 1,700 square foot oor, the two didn’t imag- ine opening up a second store until the perfect opportunity arose. “The North Loop neighborhood has a very independent spirit that is unique to this historic neighborhood. In August I bought [Room Service Vintage] from the former owner and my mentor,” San Miguel said. “So being next door to Room Service is a dream come true and across from all of these other legendary Austin businesses all around us. It was really just a huge honor and a dream come true that all the pieces fell into place.” Respecting the craft The South location rst started out with a large furniture inventory, however, they said the space
quickly turned into a destination where travelers stopped by to admire the furniture and take photos, but not take anything home. “I always say we were like a beautiful museum that everyone loved, but no one was paying an admission ticket,” Larson said. “Because you can’t take a credenza on the plane, but you can take a dress.” Both owners hand select each product displayed in the stores from handbags and jackets to dresses and children’s clothing. “There is a certain amount of fun in digging, but oftentimes when you’re visiting a boutique, it’s just so nice to look at every piece and see the beauty in every single thing that you touch,” San Miguel said. “That’s where our motto ‘All killer no ller,’ comes from.” The impact Both owners expressed their interest for vintage clothing being rooted in their gravitation toward clothing from the 60s to the 90s and how it paired with the music culture at the time. The duo said they’re motivated to o er one-of-a-kind pieces for customers to fall in love with while giving the clothing new life. “Over the years I’ve just become more and more passionate about responsible retail and sustain- able fashion,” San Miguel said. “We’re really proud to be a part of the sustainable fashion community.”
DACIA GARCIA COMMUNITY IMPACT
The business started out featuring vintage furniture before transitioning to a clothing-only establishment.
COURTESY PROTOTYPE VINTAGE PHOTO BY DANIEL CAVAZOS
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S. CONGRESS AVE.
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1 South Congress: 1700 S. Congress Ave., Austin; 2 North Loop: 123 E. North Loop Blvd., Austin www.prototype-vintage.com
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NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION
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