Birmingham vintage store, Manitou Supply, begins plans to rebrand its shop

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business, small business, Manitou Supply
David Brown, Luciana Giovinazzo, owners of Manitou Supply. Photo by Kristina O’Quinn for Bham Now

Everyone is making moves in the new year, including one of our favorite vintage stores, Manitou Supply. At the end of the month, the store will close its Avondale location as they move forward with plans to refresh and rebrand.

What newness will we see?

Manitou Supplys booth at ORE Mercantile Birmingham vintage store, Manitou Supply, begins plans to rebrand its shop
Manitou Supply’s booth at Ore Mercantile in Avondale. Photo via Manitou Supply.

Owners David Brown and Luciana Giovinazzo want to shift their vintage toward classic American apparel, workwear, and archival pieces. Customers can still find all of their favorites like classic vintage tees and cool denim. However, they won’t be carrying 90’s fashion into the new decade.

“We hope our new collection engages with a new audience and our current supporters. We think vintage is for all genders and ages.”

David Brown and Luciana Giovinazzo

While we won’t see a new brick-and-mortar store this year, Luciana and David are still keeping plenty busy. Part of which includes treasure hunting for incredible pieces that leave all our friends asking, “Where did you find that??”.

“We are excited to take a break from that and go back to working from our home studio. We will be traveling, picking more and revamping our online presence.”

David Brown and Luciana Giovinazzo

Hold up, can I still shop their awesome vintage collection?

Mantiou Supply booth at Ore Mercantile denim Birmingham vintage store, Manitou Supply, begins plans to rebrand its shop
This article would’ve been completed sooner but I accidentally got off track online shopping on Manitou’s Etsy page. Photo via Manitou Supply.

Yes, my heart stopped too when I first heard the news Manitou Supply would be closing their store at MAKEbhm. But not to worry, there’s still plenty of places to shop its one-of-a-kind items.

  • ORE Mercantile in Avondale has a nice selection of Manitou’s items, the booth even fits their aesthetic.
  • Manitou Supply on Etsy has pages of the same items you can find in their store.
  • Their Instagram will continually be updated with fantastic new finds, and work distractors.

“We have been wanting to rebrand for a while. The opportunity arose when we joined up with Ore Mercantile. We are able to take a step back from the weight of a storefront. The micro-retail concept seems to be the right fit for us right now.”

David Brown and Luciana Giovinazzo

What else is next for Manitou Supply?

The truth of today’s retail industry is most places sell through several different outlets. Selling online and through micro-retail is a great way to promote Mantiou’s sustainable fashion not only in Birmingham, but also across the country!

For those unfamiliar with the term, micro-retailing is a growing trend where several retailers sell their goods inside the same space. It’s like a miniature mall, without the smell of a food court.

“We are excited to focus on vintage that is true to us. With rebranding comes a new image, so we are looking forward to that too. “

David Brown and Luciana Giovinazzo

Although we’ll miss having Manitou Supply in Avondale, they said the community has been supportive of the decision. Don’t worry—we will still see the trendy little trio around the city at local markets and pop-ups.

Don’t go anywhere—unless you’re heading to Manitou Supply. Big discounts will run through the month of January as they make room for new inventory.  Keep up Manitou on Instagram and don’t forget to shop their collection at Ore Mercantile.

What’s your favorite piece you bought from Manitou Supply? Let us know on social @bhamnow.com.

Irene Richardson
Irene Richardson
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