Mikey & Wellington : Rosa Davidson
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and the story behind your shop? I go by Mikey. I grew up in Sweden, but I’ve been living in New Zealand on and off for about 10 years. I studied at Massey University, but I only made it through two and a half years of my degree. Preloved Charlies started growing so much that I decided to drop out and move from just being online to opening a physical shop. It turned into a full-time job.
Cool! What inspired you to start your business in Wellington? Money? No, well, like, it started as a side hustle. It was a way to work for myself while being a student. One thing kind of led to another. It just started with an Instagram page. It wasn’t like, “Oh, I’m going to open a big shop and have employees and do this full-time.” That was never the idea from the start. It just evolved.
How has being in Wellington influenced the way you run your business? That’s a good question. Wellington is a small city, so building close relationships with neighbouring businesses was important. But I feel like that’s something I would do anywhere. Wellington is artsy, and I like that. It’s more personal, and I think it just feels right that my shop is here.
How does your shop reflect the character or culture of Wellington? Our shop definitely reflects Wellington’s character through our close-knit community vibe. We make things happen together. It’s about supporting each other.
Sounds like you have a good community around you, how do you think Preloved Charlies plays a role in the wider community? We often lend clothes to creators or work with artists for events. It’s our way of connecting with the Wellington community, and being supportive of creators, especially when you don’t have a big budget. Others did that for me when I needed it, so it’s cool to be able to give back.
It sounds like you have a strong sense of community, both in person and online. How do you cultivate that? Yeah, we hope so! We try to create a space where people feel like friends rather than customers. We encourage them to come in, try on clothes, and just hang out. We know many of our regulars by name. It’s more like a friendly chat than formal customer service. We also work closely with local businesses on our strip. It’s a tight-knit community here.
Sounds like a seamless operation you have going, have you faced any challenges as a shop owner in Wellington? Of course! One of the biggest has been clothing sizes. It’s a struggle to find a good range, especially since we don’t manufacture our own clothes. But we’ve improved, and people have noticed. It’s always about problem-solving and moving forward.
What are your hopes for the future of Wellington moving forward? Maybe they could fix the water pipes, for one! But seriously, I hope Wellington, and New Zealand in general, can make it easier for people to live here. Many of our customers are students or young people, and it’s tough for them. A lot of people are moving overseas because it’s so hard to live here. If there were more opportunities and it was easier to live, more people would stay.
Yeah I know a lot of people jumping the ditch, what advice would you give to someone who wants to stay and start a business in Wellington? Take it slow. One thing at a time. It’s easy to get carried away with big ideas, but focus on learning one skill at a time and nailing it before moving on to the next. Be consistent and don’t rush. Everything will pay off in time.
Is there anything else about your experience as a shop owner in Wellington that you’d like to share? Wellington is fucking weird, and I love it. It’s expensive and weird, but it feels like home. It’s a city full of quirks, and that’s why I belong here. I didn’t feel that way anywhere else. Here, I’ve found my people.
- Mikey 2024
Created by Rosa Davidson : We Are Wellington (Zine)
September 2024