Photo by Jesse Chambers
David Brown and Luciana Giovinazzo, co-owners of vintage clothing shop Manitou Supply, with their 16-month-old son, Julian.
Hoover native David Brown has loved vintage clothing since he was a teenager. “Every piece of clothing tells a story,” Brown said.
He started selling vintage on Etsy and at pop-up markets in 2009 and opened Manitou Supply with Luciana Giovinazzo, his wife and business partner, in East Avondale in 2017. They moved to their current space at MAKEbhm in Avondale in August.
“This was our opportunity to do what we love and give it a physical location, where local people could browse through our collection without having to wait for a pop-up or street market,” Giovinazzo said.
The couple hope that retail becomes more popular in Avondale, along with the bars and eateries. “We hope that more retailers will see the potential of this area and just jump in,” Giovinazzo said.
The couple believes unique local shops may have a better chance than big-box stores in an online world.
“There are people who love what we’re doing,” Brown said. “We have customers who stop in twice a month to see what new stuff we have.”
The couple handpicks all their stock, and Brown said they maintain a strong focus on local Birmingham products.
For updates, go to Facebook @ManitouSupplyCo or etsy.com/shop/manitousupply.
