Last Day of Maternity Leave with Meek Vintage
On one of the last snowy days in Denver this winter, I dressed our Winter in her bear suit and we headed to Meek Vintage to check out their shop. I have been following the owners, Kelly and Emma Meeks, on Instagram for a while and was excited to see their new storefront that opened this past November. Have you ever walked into a place and immediately felt this overwhelming sense of familiarity and peace, like you just walked into your own home? That's the exact feeling I experienced as I walked through the doors at Meek. Not only is the decor calm and inviting, the store well-organized and well-thought-out, but Kelly and Emma have the most welcoming and sincere disposition.
I was drawn to them from the moment we first met and pulled even closer when I discovered that they are a mother/daughter duo who happen to share the same passion as me for fashion and vintage treasures. While I was perusing the store with Winter in tow, I couldn't help but think about what interests Winter and I may share one day and what it must be like for Kelly and Emma to work together. While Kelly pulls the "Mom" card at home, at the store they are equal partners. From thrifting, to going to estate sales, to managing their social media accounts and balancing their checkbook, they are 100% united. Their passion pours out of them and they light up when explaining to their customers the stories behind some of their pieces. They are so well-versed on issues like how much water it takes to make denim and they believe in the lifestyle of reusing and restoring products instead of creating new ones. Kelly and Emma are as authentic as they come. I had the best time talking to them to about both environmental issues and their darling shop. While these aforementioned conversations were great, it was the unexpected conversations about motherhood that ensued, such as the trials of and tribulations of breastfeeding and raising strong independent women, that will stay with me forever.
Our trip to Meek Vintage was on the last day of my maternity leave. Before I made my way back home to eat dinner and tuck her into bed, I sat on their couch holding Winter in one of their blankets as she slept. I could not fathom leaving her the next day to go to work. Three months was not enough time. I felt like I had just got to know her and I was already being shoved back into my old life, except it wasn't the same, I wasn't the same. Kelly and Emma empathized with me as I shed a few tears on the couch. They sent us home with the blanket that I wrapped her up in and reminded me that even though I was going to be a working mother, that it is still possible to have a strong mother/daughter bond. My relationship with Meek has since become deeper. I love stopping by their shop to say hi and they even said they would take Winter and I behind the scenes one day to see how they find all their treasures.
If you’re in the Denver area, I highly encourage you to check out their store. And if you’re not, check out their Instagram accounts where they have amazing products listed and do flash sales often: @Meekvintage and @Shopmeekvintage
Thank you Kelly and Emma for showing me around your store and for giving me some insight on mother/daughter relationships! You can read more about how Meek got started from Kelly's perspective at the end of the post.
Photography by Brittany Renee'
"I ( Kelly) have been selling vintage for about nine years and before that was a collector myself. I grew up going to thrift stores and garage sales with my Mom, so it was natural that I did the same with my family! We would go “treasure hunting” when my kids were little. Emma started modeling for my Etsy shop when she was only 12! She loved it and it came very naturally to her. She would enjoy helping me look for items as well. When we moved to Denver from Phoenix almost two years ago it was such a transition for our family. We didn’t know anyone and as a result, our family really bonded.
Emma started helping me more and more with the business, while finishing up high school. We started an Instagram shop as an experiment and it really took off! We started to talk and dream about opening a brick and mortar shop. As fate would have it, another vintage shop owner told us she was moving out of her building and into another, and our wheels started spinning! We went home and immediately told my husband about the opportunity. He said go for it, if that's what you want to do! The rest is pretty much history! Emma and I are partners, its truly a 50/50 thing. We work really well together and challenge each other to continually grow. We have our moments where we disagree and argue, but ultimately it just challenges us to work on our communication and respect for one another. We are very close and neither of us can imagine doing this business with anyone else! We have a lot of big dreams for the future and believe this is only the beginning for MEEK!" -Kelly Meeks