Puma x Outsourced Vintage19 Images
Almost a decade ago, Depop became every fashion girl’s dream, helping find the best pieces from a grandma’s closet and random individuals reselling their hypebeast ex’s prized possessions. For Sherin Awad, her experience on the platform birthed a new career and community. Born in Hungary and now based in London, Award’s platform Outsourced Vintage is more than just a space for curated second-hand fashion, instead it works as a project rooted in family history.
Spanning three generations of women, Awad grew up watching her grandmother and mother source baby clothes in Eastern Europe, long before thrifting became a movement. Now, from Stamford Works in London, she’s built a brand that keeps those traditions alive while making vintage fashion feel fresh and exciting. “What I love the most is bringing people together, through my shop and people being involved in this community,” Awad explains. “Not only do people bond over their shared love for vintage clothes, but also bringing a group of lovely people together and making new friendships is key!” With an eye for craftsmanship and an ethos of sustainability, Outsourced Vintage champions quality over quantity, offering carefully sourced pieces that stand the test of time.
After sending Dazed club photographer Betty Oxlade-Martin to photograph the team wearing the Puma Mostro, we caught up with Awad to talk about the evolution of vintage, working with Puma, and why building a community around second-hand clothing is more important than ever.
How did Outsourced Vintage first start?
Sherin Awad: Outsourced Vintage is a story spanning across three generations of women in my family; my grandma, mum and sister. Growing up in Eastern Europe, my mum and grandma used to source baby clothes for me and my sister. When my sister and I were older, we visited my grandma one summer and she gave us £20 to spend in the warehouses they used to go sourcing and we found bags of quality second-hand designer and streetwear items that were desirable on Depop.
Our first Depop sale was a 90s designer baseball cap and various sportswear shell jackets. My sister would model and I would work on the listings, styling and customer relationships. Since then we’ve grown from selling on Depop to building 10,600 followers on Instagram and now offering appointments only private shopping for clients.
Do you believe fashion has the power to bring people together? If yes, how so?
Sherin Awad: Yes, for sure! I think fashion, especially second-hand and vintage clothes, have a really special and sentimental value to them. From their story to how and where you found the items you wear. People love to share their thrift finds and I think there’s such a lovely element of vintage shopping being an activity for friends. It does not feel exclusive and it can be a conversation starter for a lot of people.
What does community mean to you?
Sherin Awad: Community to me looks like a safe space for people to come together and feel in the comfort of their own home. How Outsourced Vintage really grew as a community and a shop was through my concept of ‘home away from home’. Initially starting the private shopping appointments from my conservatory and bedroom in my old flat in a converted barn in Kings Cross. I wanted people to feel at home while shopping for vintage clothes. I remember hosting ‘An intimate evening with Outsourced Vintage’ for a group of girls who have supported my shop over the years in my house, most of them did not know each other, and now they’re all really close friends and met through our shop.
How would you describe your collective ethos to someone hoping to get involved?
Sherin Awad: Here at Outsourced Vintage everything I do is to bring people together by making my community of people feel comfortable and relaxed. I love bringing people together in a calm and cosy environment where they can feel at ease when they step into the space.
What has been the highlight of working on OV so far?
Sherin Awad: The highlight has 100 per cent been the network of people I’ve built and the people and friendships I’ve made or gained over the years. Especially since opening our showroom in Dalston, I have been meeting crazy talented people in so many different industries and I love that about my job. Also, to know that people know about Outsourced Vintage around the country, there have been times when I’m out with my friends and when Outsourced Vintage gets mentioned, people know of the brand outside of my circles – my friend’s sister who goes to Edinburgh University has heard about the ‘vintage shop that does private viewings in Dalston’ through TikTok!
What made collaborating with Puma on this project a great fit for you?
Sherin Awad: Our customers love styling their vintage pieces with new designs and mixing styles from second-hand to new items. It’s always really rewarding to see how vintage clothes fit into any new footwear designs or trends that get brought out. I love seeing how girls style footwear with vintage clothes.
What do you hope people take away from being involved in your community?
Sherin Awad: As mentioned before, I think what I love the most is bringing people together, through my shop and people being involved in this community, not only do people bond over their shared love for vintage clothes, but also bringing a group of lovely people together and making new friendships is key!
What is your advice for someone who wants to create a similar project and forge their own creative space?
Sherin Awad: My main advice (could be very cliche) is to dream big. If you put your heart and soul into something, you can make it happen. And I would say sometimes just do a project, don’t plan for months and write 1000x plans or lists on how you’ll do it. Just come up with an idea and speak to people about it and do it. All of my events, workshops, and community events came to me as an idea and within a week, I planned and put the idea into action. If you plan and think over an idea and structure everything too much, it can take the fun away from it – that could be bad advice, but I’ve definitely hosted most of my successful events like that!
What do you like most about the Mostro’s design?
Sherin Awad: I am obsessed with the forefoot strap closure, it makes the shoes have such a unique look and they feel so comfortable. It’s a design of footwear that I think really elevates an outfit and differentiates it from any other brand. Even when planning my outfits around my pair has been such a fun process.
What do you hope for the future of OV?
Sherin Awad: I hope to keep bringing people together, through community-led events that highlight small businesses such as ceramics, coffee and matcha tasting, and creating a collective space where people come together for the same thing but from all different backgrounds. I hope that the community grows and friendships are built which stems back to our shop that’s more than just a shop, Outsourced Vintage.
Head to the gallery above to check out all the imagery.
