Press Release
After 10 years as Runaround Sue Vintage, the online shop based in Charleston rebrands and launches as Rhubarb Vintage. The new name debuts March 1st to coincide with a month-long pop-up at the new downtown Charleston vintage and secondhand designer clothing retailer, Portal (189 Saint Philip St.). Portal will also host a Rhubarb Vintage launch event at the shop on Wed. March 17, 5-8 p.m.
Rhubarb Vintage will remain online (on Etsy) and regularly pop up at local markets, including the Holy City Vintage Market, which owner Kelly Rae Smith founded.
Smith released the following statement this week on the name change: Why Rhubarb? It’s cute, yes? And also rhubarb is just delicious. In a pie, it’s the perfect blend of tart and sweet. But mainly ‘rhubarb‘ reminds me of two of my favorite people in the world, Joshua and Lewis. Though they are the actual offspring of my beautiful friend Alison, in Scotland, she lets me be their American mum. Anyway, years ago when they were wee, they’d love/make fun of the Southern way I say pie, specifically rhubarb pie. I had never had rhubarb before I moved to Scotland so that’s a fond memory/association, too, with a place I consider my second home, with my second family. If you’re asking: Won’t a name change after 10 years hurt you? The opposite. I’m CELEBRATING 10 years by making a HEALTHY change for me! I have not done anything with my shop in years. Not really. I have focused on the vintage market that I started. Seriously, I have done next to nothing with Runaround Sue other than place it in my own market with little to no signage because I’m too busy running a market to think or care about marketing or growing my own business. It was either make a change that I can get excited about, to help me get my mojo back — or pack it in altogether and move on. There is really nothing to lose and everything to gain here. I have thought about this for years. This is what I had to do for me. In my other life, I am a ghostwriter. After ghostwriting several business books and thoroughly planning MANY business books with many different authors and experts, I have learned enough to know that it all has to start within before you can align and grow any other part of your business model and goals. If you ain’t feelin’ it, something has to change. I don't have grand plans to be polished and huge. I’ll always be scrappy but I’ll be a little more excited and HAPPY and scrappy, which hopefully leads to cool stuff—if only my own contentment. I won’t be starting a new IG or FB page — just changing the name of the existing ones. I’ll always hold Runaround Sue dear. She’s so special to me. But I am looking forward to turning the page on that era of my life that no longer feels like me and starting this fresh chapter with Rhubarb Vintage! A portion of Rhubarb Vintage’s collection will be up for grabs at Portal throughout the month of March as part of the brand launch celebration. Rhubarb’s upcoming market schedule includes pop-ups on Sunday, March 13th at Picker’s Hullabaloo, Saturday March 20th at The Park Cafe, and Sunday April 18th at Thrifters and Drifters. Smith is also organizing the first full Holy City Vintage Market since the pandemic this June at The Royal American — full announcement to come. Follow the new adventures of Rhubarb Vintage on Instagram at @rhubarbvintage.
