Charlotte, and the culture at large, is in a “renaissance” of vintage fashion and a search for quality materials of years past, at least according to local stylist and entrepreneur Jaleak Gerlitzki. Gerlitzki is part of a blossoming fashion scene in the city: vintage reselling and personal styling. Saturdays are often populated by pop-up markets, and the street vendor scene in NoDa has continued to grow, even amid controversy.
Gerlitzki, a Pennsylvania native who moved to the Charlotte area during his teen years, says he sees people are looking to return to quality amidst a world that seems filled with fast fashion and cheap materials. His vintage reselling business and styling services reflect a growing interest from younger generations – TikTok is full of videos of people going through Goodwill bins and selling on platforms like Depop, with the aim of repurposing materials, being more eco-friendly, or simply to stand out with style that may not fit current trends.
Talking to Gerlitzki about this movement and his fashion curation is like a breath of fresh air, and his passion is palpable. He’s been in the fashion scene in Charlotte since 2021, and at just 25 years old, feels it only goes up from here. We decided to get his thoughts on the state of vintage fashion, the Charlotte fashion community, and how his business and passions fit into it all.
How did you get into fashion?
I’ve always been very intrigued and interested in fashion, but I started thrifting around the age of 10 and began teaching myself about materials, fabrics, patterns, and different eras over the years. As I got older, I never expected to make vintage a business – it was something I just loved to do personally…