Flower Power
HED: Flower Power
SUB: Flower Child owner Joe Valenti turned to vintage resale to reinvent himself, and after 15 years, his Italian Village store has become a hotspot for all things retro, and a unique world in its own right
Story and photos by NV Gay
Upon walking through the doors of Flower Child, I found myself magically transported into the past, with curated clothing, home decor and more, as far as the eye could see.
Gorgeous dresses that would be the envy of any party, leather jackets that would impress everyone, furniture that becomes the focal point of any room, and statement accessories to tie together any outfit. Without truly realizing it, I had taken a pair of patent leather slippers out of their display, thrown off my shoes, and began to slip them on.
The heels slid on perfectly, and I dreamed of all of the events, parties, and dates that laid before me with my new retro footwear. The purchase was made, the shoes were mine, and the magic of Flower Child once again had been cast. What seems like a simple clothing store from the exterior, quickly transforms to become the caretaker of incredible stories.
Located at 233 E 5th Ave., Flower Child has been creating vintage fashion magic (like my own encounter) since 2009. Owner Joe Valenti first opened the store in Cleveland in 1999, and then expanded to Columbus a decade later.
After a career as a talent agent, Joe began collecting mid century modern furniture and fashion and was then diagnosed with lung cancer and given one year to live in 1998. After informing his employer about his diagnosis, he was told to go to the bathroom and not come back, as no one wants to “see ugly.” That moment became a defining moment of his life, as he decided to reinvent himself and create the person he is today.
Valenti began selling vintage fashion and furniture in a small antique mall, while discovering the passion and love he had been missing from previous careers. The store’s name pays homage to his parents, two hippies of the 60s who came together after leaving their previous lives.
The store aims to offer a space where patrons can feel free to try on and play around with new styles from a huge variety of eras, regardless if they make a purchase or not.
Flower Child will always be a place that will continue to grow and encapsulate those principles that many believe have been lost to time. “I’m 5’7 and nothing is big enough,” Valenti joked.
The 5th Avenue spot has become a destination for many who visit Columbus, including many celebrities and notable personalities. Joe recanted stories of having Twenty-One Pilots, Alice Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, The Black Keys, Bette Midler, The B-52’s, Cyndi Lauper, and many more stop in. While hosting these famous personalities is amazing, Valenti focuses on making sure he creates a welcoming environment for all – a place where people are just free to shop. With an ideal location in Italian Village, Flower Child is close enough to the Short North for people to be able to easily visit, but not so close that they have those walking in off the street to just kill time.
“This is the best place for a first date, because if you meet someone here and they cannot find one thing in here to talk about, lose them because they are a dud,” he said with a laugh.
Additionally, the store’s impressive following is all thanks to their wonderful customers. The business has always relied upon word of mouth referrals from its patrons; which has grown it into a staple of the Columbus shopping scene.
The one negative review that floats around is about the cost of the items within the store. Yes, Flower Child’s prices are more expensive than those of other vintage stores, because their prices reflect the level of care and work that goes into each piece. Everything in the store has been properly cared for, cleaned, and styled to make sure that you, the customer, are getting a truly unique and like-new piece.
Joe and his team of 16 vendors consider themselves more caretakers than retailers; the bridgepoint between an item’s previous owner and its new one. He has a large network of people calling in looking to sell clothing and fashionable pieces from recently deceased family members. As he searches through the pieces belonging to that person, Valenti asks them about the pieces and how or when they were worn. Nothing to him is more important than hearing the life and stories behind each piece.
“It’s all about the story,” Joe emphasized. “Everyone has one, so share your story.”
As Columbus has been going through a revitalization, and its neighborhoods are swiftly changing, Joe looks to maintain Flower Child as a destination. With all of the housing going up all around the store, Joe feels that Flower Child will very much become a hotspot for those visiting from out of town as well.
No matter what the future holds in store, however, Joe will be here to continue to create and curate a vintage store that does it right. As he put it, “I’ll never say no – instead, I’ll find a way. It’s a big world and there is a lot of flavor out there.”
Get a sneak peek of some of Flower Child’s incredible offerings on their Facebook.