Behind the Glass: The Messy Beauty of Building Something New

Our official opening date is set for May 1st—a day that marks not just the launch of our storefront, but the beginning of something deeply personal and long overdue.

In the spirit of honesty (and determination), we decided to open the windows.Yes—literally scraped off 20+ years of crusted paint.

Because before we flip the sign to “open,” we knew we wanted people to see in.Not just into the shop—but into the process. The work. The layered, dusty, beautiful truth of what it actually takes to bring a space like this to life. We didn’t want to hide behind fresh coats or glossy facades. We wanted the light to hit the shelves while they were still being built. For neighbors to walk by and witness the evolution—the mess, the magic, the in-between.

We opened the windows because we’re not just opening a store.We’re inviting the community into the heart of something real. Worker-owned, intentionally built, and stitched together with second chances. Not for aesthetics. But to let the world in.

At Academy St. Thrift, we believe people deserve to see the real behind the racks—the grit, the dust, the decisions, and the dreams. Running a thrift store isn’t polished. It’s processing inventory and possible donations in the freezing cold or relentless heat, early mornings or late nights, and hoping someone sees the beauty in a secondhand dress, a pair of shoes, a vintage accessory—or whatever treasure they stumble upon—and in the secondhand life behind it.

The other day, my mom and little sister came by to drop off a bag of amazing thrift finds—they always have an eye for good stuff. But this time, she paused. She saw the mess. The bins, the half-unpacked dresses, the tower of unsorted boxes—and she was right. We opened the windows and let it all show.

We’re not hiding the process. We’re letting people see the work it takes to make reuse possible, sustainable, and community-driven.

We’re a worker-owned business. The people steaming the dresses, sorting the shoes, fixing the light fixtures—we’re the ones running the show. No middlemen. No investors pulling strings. We are the labor and the leadership. The vision and the hands that bring it to life. We pull staples from secondhand frames to give them new purpose. Stitch up torn hems. Reseam linings. Replace buttons on vintage coats that still have stories to tell. We rotate inventory by hand, reorganize every rack with intention, and build displays from repurposed scraps, castoffs or curbside gems. It's wiping down shelves while the coffee goes cold. It’s scrubbing rainboots with a toothbrush. Ironing collars so they sit just right. Hand-washing a delicate crochet blanket because someone will love it again, if given the chance.

We don’t discard easily. We don’t believe in fast fixes or throwaway culture.

We believe in second chances—not just for clothes, but for materials, for ideas, for people.

We repurpose what’s been overlooked. We slow down where the world rushes past.

Because in a world obsessed with newness, we choose renewal. Mess and all.

If you happen to spot me working inside—sifting through piles of clothes, reworking a display, or covered in dust from sanding something down—feel free to wave. Or knock. Or come right in for a chat. We may not be officially open yet, but the conversation and community already is.

This space is being built to hold more than clothes, shoes, accessories, or books. It's built to hold dialogue, curiosity, and connection. Help us build the Academy St. tribe, centered around the human—the maker, the wearer, the worker, the dreamer. The person behind the register and the person digging through the bins. The stories woven into every garment and the hands that give it new life.

Join us as we create something that’s not just about what we wear, but how we care—for each other, for our community, and for the world we’re reimagining together.