S10 Ep14 LADIES OF THE LOON: Lexis Zenobia is a dealer specializing in vintage mohair – on cinematic storytelling for this one-of-a-kind archival collection found at a mansion in the woods.

Today we're chatting with Lexis Zenobia , a full-time artist and vintage dealer, the owner of Ladies of the Loon — which is doing something really unique – this is a vintage brand that has taken a truly singular path in the resale world, one paved entirely in vintage mohair.

A little background, Lexis grew up in Wisconsin, and came of age in Milwaukee's vintage scene. She launched a fashion photography business at 18, and spent several years on the road in an RV, selling vintage out of the back and collecting pieces across the American West. 

But it wasn't until she became the steward of a one-of-a-kind vintage mohair collection that everything changed for Lexis. Today, you’re going to hear the story of a find beyond her wildest dreams: thousands of vintage and hand-knit mohair pieces, spanning from the 1920s onward, capes, gowns, skirts, sweaters — including a collection of nearly 200 hand-knit Italian cardigans from the 1950s and 60s. This is a collection so significant, it should be shown in a gallery.

On today's episode, we get into all of it: how a sleepless night and a full moon set this whole thing in motion, why Lexi made the bold decision to sell off her entire existing inventory and go all in on mohair, what makes this textile so special to photograph and to wear, and the pieces — that sold in minutes which she still thinks about. All that and more!

Let's dive right in!

DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• [5:16] Early memories of Lexis vintage shopping with her mom, including an antique store in a rural barn.
• [7:50] Her career in vintage actually started with fashion photography.
• [11:04] She originally became a vintage dealer because she needed to do a big closet cleanout, and it accidentally launched a decade-long career. 
• [14:31] How COVID reshaped the business 
• [18:16] How she became the steward of a one-of-a-kind vintage mohair collection, spanning from the 1920s onward.
• [26:35] Why vintage mohair is a special textile, nicknamed “the diamond fiber”
• [29:39] The Italian handknit mohair cardigans 
• [31:08] On the decision to wholesale her existing collection and focus singularly on vintage mohair. 
• [37:44] Her dream to show the mohair collection in a gallery 
• [41:05] How to care for vintage mohair 
• [47:18] The two mohair pieces that sold in minutes and that she still thinks about 
• [52:46] On her personal style and memorable pieces

EPISODE MENTIONS: 

• Ladies of the Loon
• Midwest Vintage Flea
• SUDESTADA Gallery
• “Wool Skirts,” an exhibition of one woman’s 40-year thrift-store collection, reveals a rich tapestry of clothing manufacturing and feminist history. – The New York Times
• The Black Web dress
• Bleu Boy Vintage
• Thank You Vintage
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