Meet Tara Lovato of La Lovely Vintage in The Baker and RiNo Arts District

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Lovato.

Tara, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
From an early age, I was exposed to the freedom that entrepreneurship awarded my grandmother, who lived for years on the road making and selling jewelry to keep the wheels of her RV rolling. Later, thrifting out of necessity as a teenager in Denver introduced me to the beauty and uncompromising quality of vintage clothing.

Boutiques like Decade and Talulah Jones inspired me to create a space that expressed my own sense of aesthetics. Starting out, I sold mostly through Etsy. La Lovely “officially” opened for business in 2012, when I bought Lucy, the 1957 Shasta camper that would eventually become the mobile storefront at popular events like the Santa Fe Art Walk and the Denver Flea. After locations in Littleton and the Backyard on Blake, we settled into the two locations that we operate to this day in the Baker and RiNo Arts District.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We’ve faced many obstacles along the way, but everything that’s happened has made us who we are as a business today. We never expected the road to be smooth, it’s the bumps and stops along the way that make the journey.

La Lovely Vintage – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My partner, Ian and I are travelers and pickers by nature, taking to the backroads of this beautiful nation any chance our schedule allows. We’re digging through the dust in storage units, salvage yards, basements, and barns to find our vintage. Whether it’s a brass animal for your bookshelf or the perfect pair of Levi’s 501’s, every piece that we have in our store tells a story. If we know it by heart we’ll share it with you.

Form and function are at the very core of the pieces we offer in the stores. Modern or vintage, we are drawn to garments whose construction and materials never give up and age with grace. We are proud to be fighting the trend of disposable fashion by giving clothing another chance to prove its toughness and superior construction. In 2020, we’ve made the commitment to only stock modern brands that use sustainable and ethical manufacturing processes.

If you could do it over again what is one thing you would do different?
I’d go back and have more confidence in my vision. I’d listen to less those who cast doubt on me (myself included).

Contact Info:

• Address: 42 N Broadway Denver, CO 80203
  2936 Larimer St. Denver, CO 80205
• Website: www.lalovelyvintage.com
• Phone: 7207494452
• Email: inquiries.lalovelyvintage@gmail.com
• Instagram: @lalovelyvintage

Image Credit:
Jessica Christie @jessicachristiephoto

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