Amanda Nieves moved to Denver only a year ago and has already established herself in Denver’s fashion scene through her site, Epoch Vintage. From selling her best fashion finds at local pop-ups and conventions to thrifting and selling her favorite fashion and household items on her blog shop, Nieves has immersed herself into Denver’s fashion industry, making a name for Epoch Vintage among the thrifting community.

Nieves started her journey into fashion through the creation of her blog, which is now where she sells much of her apparel inventory. Her use of social media to market her brand and its products has allowed her to become a part of some of Denver’s largest fashion conventions like ThriftCon and Old School Cool Vintage Market.

303 Magazine: Did you always have a passion for fashion? When did your involvement in fashion begin?

Amanda Nieves: I don’t know honestly. It just started as a love for being weird and different. I didn’t go to school for fashion and was always more interested in interior design but fashion was always just a way for me to express how I feel and how my soul feels.

303: How did you decide to start your own fashion-based business?

AN: As far as starting my own business, I’ve always been a thrifter. It’s definitely been a long process. I thrift everywhere. I’m originally from South Florida so a lot of my pieces are still from home since I moved here only a year ago. I love going to the bins and I love state sales. I also go to the usual ARC and Goodwill. Before I started this business, I had a small business with some friends at home where we curated our own collection. My love for it just grew from there. Once I came here, I realized it could be a real thing.

I started in Florida doing pop-ups at local and smaller events so when I moved here I had the idea to continue to do that already. I started a website that was initially a blog and just decided to start putting my stuff on there to sell. I also started with a Depop but decided it would be better to just sell everything through my own website and it kind of just went from there. So, now I’m really just trying to grow my online presence and my Instagram.

303: Describe Epoch Vintage’s style.

AN: It’s really anything I’d personally wear. I love the 1950s and the pinup style but also love ’90s grunge. I was raised in the ’90s so I’m obsessed with soda shoes and the Clueless style. I feel like my store is pretty eclectic so there’s something for everyone.

303: Where does the name come from?

AN: I was searching for other words for “vintage” and “epoch” came up. I also liked that it sounded like “epic.”

303: How do you determine what is worth selling in your store?

AN: I feel like I’ve gained experience just by thrifting. I’ll know something is truly vintage just by its fabric, the way its sewn or just by its tags. I always look for patterns and small things that I know have some relation to the past. As far as pieces that stand out that I know are worth it, it’s the fabric and materials that I look at. Especially with handbags. They just don’t make the same things anymore and you can really tell when something is handsewn.

303: Where has Epoch vintage been lately and what events have you been a part of?

AN: I’ve been in Old School Cool Vintage market which has popped up in Rino. Then, I was in the Bonfire Vintage pop-up in April. I’ve also done ThriftCon and will be doing that again in August. I go to Colorado Springs a lot because they have a lot of women-owned businesses and an event called Women of the Future. Starting in July, I will have a permanent spot with all my vintage household goods and that will be in Colorado Springs for now while I work with two other business owners to find a spot to open on Broadway that would be like a co-op retail shop.

303: What do you hope for the future of Epoch Vintage?

AN: My goals are definitely to have an actual shop with a storefront — like a co-op shop — just so we can bring small businesses into one. I want this to include all my vintage items and vintage furniture and even start to design and make loose-leaf tees. I just want to have a chill environment to sell my finds.

All photography by Lauren Magin.