Haylea Gray of One Girl's Treasure: Reincarnating Fashion

During a recent Facebook surfing expedition, I came across a picture of a girlfriend of mine looking especially smashing in a patterned romper and a coral-colored cardigan that set off her skin tone perfectly. As I looked closer, a strange feeling of recognition washed over me as I realized, “No wonder she looks so good… that’s MY cardigan!” You see, a couple of months ago I decided to move from Grand Rapids to Albuquerque, NM for a few months as a sort of writer’s sabbatical, and before doing so, I did an overhaul of my closet, trading clothing with friends as well as cushioning my wallet and clearing out my inventory with multiple visits to Grand Rapids resale store One Girl’s Treasure.
    
Located in downtown Grand Rapids, the shop offers all of the amenities of a Buffalo Exchange buy/sell/trade type of outfit, but with an intangible element in its atmosphere which tells one immediately that this store is no chain business. However, when its doors first opened in 2007, the distinction between cookie-cutter resale shop and independent business may have been harder for the casual observer to decipher. The change came when current owner Haylea Gray purchased the store in April of 2010. With extensive experience in resale under her belt, Gray had plenty of ideas for what HER store would look like, and the result is effortlessly unique.  

“When I bought the store, it was a culmination of a twenty-year old dream that I had. I would love to have a store where I could marry a lot of my different interests, one of which would be art, one is fashion, one is music and another is interior design.”  On any given day, fashion hunters combing through the store’s many wares (or “wears” as it were) will hear The Black Keys or Twin Shadow playing in the background and glance up to see visual art by Kendall students and local craftsman on the walls. The employees of One Girl’s Treasure reflect the individualistic ethos of the store as well, floating around the room like so many smiling, helpful, stylishly dressed snowflakes.   

Unlike most businesses of its kind, where only a select few would be trusted with the responsibility of purchasing clothing to be sold in the store, every last one of Gray’s employees are trained as buyers. As a business owner, this approach requires a leap of faith and also a good bit of humility, a quality that often seems to be all but nonexistent among those in the business of fashion. Without so much as a smattering of pretense, Gray tells me, “You know, I’m 45, and a lot of the people that shop in my store are college-aged. I think I know what’s cool, but I may not,” she says, laughing. “I feel that I have a more interesting, diverse inventory if I allow a lot of different opinions to select the merchandise.”

This unconventional system seems to achieve its goal seamlessly. One Girl’s collection strikes a balance between up-to-the-minute trends that appear to be right off the rack, classic vintage and quirky thrift store fodder that would put a smile on the face of even the most purist of hipsters. Shoppers can experience the thrill of the chase that comes with thrifting without digging through grandma’s old moo moos and dusty boxes to find that unique conversation-starting piece. The store’s clutter-free arrangement makes it easy to pop in for a re-up on wardrobe staples such as skinny jeans, tank tops and ballet flats without having to brave the mall, as well as find a stylish and affordable dress for a wedding without having to worry that you might show up in the same thing as your fourteen-year-old cousin.

In addition to being a place to score cool duds, One Girl’s Treasure can function as somewhat of an existential one stop shop, something one should feel good about participating in (and don’t we all love that?).  As opposed to throwing away clothing that has been tired of, it can be recycled, repurposed and found a new home with a girl who will love it as her very own. There is no reason for textiles to wind up in America’s landfills, especially when they can experience a rebirth through resale, and One Girl’s Treasure will pay you for your wardrobe castaways to boot. Gray comments that her store has “become a hub for people who think outside of the box and want to be creative with what they wear, and want to shop local. Even though they’re shopping for clothing, it’s also kind of a lifestyle.”  

As a writer I find myself growing tired of the word “eclectic,” because it often becomes a go-to adjective for anything that one wants to make sound interesting. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when I found Gray’s rhetoric about her store sprinkled more often with the word “inclusive.”  

“There’s not one type of person I’m trying to appeal to,” she says, “not one age group.  I want to be accessible for everyone.” Aside from offering merchandise that can please the style palates of a wide range of even the pickiest of consumers, One Girl’s achieves its inviting atmosphere by offering clothing for all ages and sizes. Virtually anyone can walk into the store and find something that fits and flatters both their body and their lifestyle.  Gray describes her personal aesthetic as being “kind of retro in nature” and “left of center,” but ultimately she sees fashion as being about “wearing what makes you feel good. What makes you feel like you.” For those who feel most like themselves when they’re wearing something that’s a little bit outside of the norm, and who like to keep their wardrobe on a steady rotation without breaking the bank, One Girl’s Treasure could become your home away from home walk-in closet. Perhaps someday the “a-ha” moment I had upon seeing my sweater on another girl will become commonplace as the women of Grand Rapids follow Haylea Gray’s lead in creating a city where fashion is in flux and an item’s shelf life is only as limited as the imagination of the woman that owns it.