Found. Lost. & Found Again
Photos by Jessie McCall
To know Jessy Brown and Micha D., of Lost & Found Vintage, is to reintroduce yourself to the decades of time when life, and all of its moisture-wicking, stain-resistant, hyper-trendy, athleisure-ness lie un-conceptualized, and the artistry of an amber juice glass, sheep-skin-lined denim, and real leather boots defined both an era and a social currency. “We describe our brand of vintage as Acid-Western,” Jessy instructs, pointing to a cactus, her bolo tie, and the largest collection of vintage and pre-owned boots in the county.
The chartreuse couch she’s seated on matches only in texture to the velvet chair in which Micha quietly sips from his mid-century clay mug, both facing a long-since-retired fireplace which now serves as a diorama for a skull in headphones, an am/fm radio, a once-lit bundle of sage, two cassette tapes, and a mirrored-photo of an orange rose – in full bloom. Everywhere I look there’s another savory image for my eyes to digest; from the well-dressed mannequins, to the tapestry of jackets, to the procession of early-edition Stanley Thermoses above a rack of military issue field jackets.
Vintage: A Philosophy, An Art
Running my hands over racks of expertly procured pieces, found in partnership with Jessy and Micha’s team of buyers, Lost & Found might be the store on Broad St. with the highest quality soft-goods – thanks to fabrics once designed to withstand the test of time. In the face of fast-fashion, what was once considered “everyday quality,” would today be described as “well-made.”
“There’s a creative experimentation that goes with not knowing what you’re gonna find,” Micha begins, in a tone that feels relaxed and well-considered, “and that was always really inspiring to me. I was a musician, so thrifting was part of touring. We’d get into a town, go to the thrift stores, find a café, and then set up and play, and it’s still this way. When I take a trip and someone asks, ‘What are you gonna do?’ The answer is always, ‘yard sales and thrift.’ That’s how you get to know a town, because within that environment, you meet people; they invite you inside; they find out you’re in a band; they want to outfit you for your shows. Thrifting is part of my philosophy, part of my life, and it also works to combat what is now this other issue around the making of more ‘stuff.’ But there’s enough stuff. We can all live on what we’ve made, probably forever. There was a time when things were made to last, and then once they wore out completely you’d make a quilt out of it, and then when the quilt wore out it would become a small baby blanket, and you could get 100, 200 years out of a single piece of fabric.”
Environmentalism is a reliable topic in Nevada County, with routine reverence given to “the rivers and the lakes that we’re used to” (thanks TLC). But for those who may be viewing vintage for the first time through an ecological lens, it’s good to know some have been positioned at this post for most of their lives – ready to welcome us home.
“I grew up really poor,” adds Jessy, straightening the pant leg of her second-hand navy-issued denim, “and, I basically have always had secondhand clothing. I used to hate it as a kid, then I slowly realized that, actually, it was better. And personally, I don’t like the idea of exploiting people, animals, or anything like that. Basically the entire system of fast-fashion, and everything involved in it – the transit, the quality, the factories – I’m completely against with every cell of my body. We have to make a living somehow, we have to pay bills, and so having an opportunity to do it, in this way, feels morally correct to me.”
From Behind the Curtain
Lost & Found’s new store in downtown Nevada City is almost double the size of their previous location on Mill St. in Grass Valley, giving Jessy and Micha breath and distance to display an impressive collection of mesh-back hats, heirloom quilts, a host of dishware, and two full-size dressing rooms – lit and decorated like backstage greenrooms complete with globe-lights, full-length mirrors, and velvet curtains. “We think we know what we like, what our style is, but when you go into a vintage store sometimes you’re inspired; you start trying on hats, and jackets, and asking your friends ‘What do you think?’ I’m always encouraging customers to try things on if I see them contemplating a piece. I can tell when they’re peeking in a mirror or by the way they’re posing – they’re asking themselves, ‘Is this me?’ The truth is, a lot of the time, we’re happily surprised by how ‘us’ these clothes really are. Vintage clothing has a different lens, it hits differently. All of our contemporary ‘stuff’ is made for a cookie cutter silhouette, but vintage clothing evokes a creativity, a self-discovery, an inner dialogue that asks, ‘Could I be this? Could I do this? Could I pull this off?’”
Vaudeville, Bazaars, and MixTape Parties
From Truckee, to Vegas, to Oakland, to Nevada City the musicianship and artistry of Micha D (or Micha D-Licious as he’s formerly known) spans years spent with the Vaudevillian punk-band, Yard Dogs Roadshow. The group, which toured heavily for more than a decade, began in the simplest of forms – a jug band – eventually performing to sold-out shows with a cult following and a European presence.
Today, aside from an incredible documentary, much of the Yard Dogs Road Show’s influence can be found emanating from the costumes – a combination of turn-of-the-20th-century clothing reimagined to showcase tattoos, dyed hair, piercings, and (in the case of their burlesque act) a lot more skin. This carnival-esque clothing, found piece-by-piece in thrift stores and then modified by each of the band’s 13 members, ultimately contributed to the term “steampunk,” known today as “festival wear.” For Micha, the endless search for unique pieces was always a parallel passion. “We would have our suits and costumes that we played in, but if I found a new one at a thrift store I might replace something that was in my repertoire. The rest of the clothes we bought were just going in my suitcase for regular wear. Then I’d get too much, and then my rack at home would fill, and then in the back of my mind I’m thinking, ‘Ok, I’ll have a street sale,’ and then in the back of the back of my mind I’m thinking, ‘Well, maybe one day I’ll open a vintage store.’”
And whilst a fledgling music career was evolving into professional plumage, Jessy Brown was designing costumes and sets, singing and songwriting, metalsmithing and merchandising, honing a lifestyle influenced by her performing arts and theater background from childhood into early adulthood, eventually leading to a 25-year career in set decoration, merchandising, and commercial and event production-design.
The co-founder of M.T. Pockets Traveling Midway of Curiosities and Delights (inclusive of the Midway Bazaar) Jessy oversaw the art and vintage offerings all designed, curated, and sold by both herself and close friends, which led to co-producing The Peralta Junction Project in Oakland, California, an event made up of 28 different vendors and artists, over 10 weeks, in handmade carnival tents. This is also where she first came across the beloved Sheila B., proud owner and creator of Atra Nova (now just two doors down from Lost & Found).
Today, much of the intrinsic performance proficiencies that once drove Jessy and Micha to create manifests as store-hosted events; live music performed by friends “in the biz” and parties like “MIXTAPE” – DJ’d by Jesse Flemming using only, if you can believe it, cassette tapes – all held after-hours. During the parties guests both dance and shop, inspired by the music à la mode, buying hats and vests and dresses courtesy of a generation with mastery over two essential buttons: fast forward and rewind. “One point of this space, and of all the spaces we’ve had, is they double as all the things we’ve done,” says Micha. “We like to put on shows, we like to host DJ’s, we like to sell things, we like to interact with the public, we like it to be a hub. It takes care of a lot of our interests and needs. All this ‘stuff’ is on wheels now so we can push it all back and have performer’s here, have parties here; we like to host.”
Buyers & Dealers
Over the years, the magnetism of Lost & Found has drawn to itself a collection of buyers – each with their own store tag (and moniker), signature style, and origin story. “The buyers started out as, you know, just our friends, and it was mainly Micha and his first partner, Franky, finding pieces in the beginning,” Jessy describes, “but slowly, little by little, the team grew. Maggie is one of our buyers still, and has been for a little over three years. The twins, Melissa and Elizabeth, are performers and travel around. They worked with us in our early performances, and with one of our friends who was in Yard Dogs with Micha, and so, there’s all this interconnectivity; they all have costumes, they go to opera house sales, and they sell here.”
“The two longest contributing buyers are Chris and Paige,” Micha adds. “Chris is really core to our story, I met him at a garage sale; he’s a real odd and loveable character. I remember I was setting up the old store and the shades were down, but I could see feet going by. I saw these two feet pass, and then I saw them stop, and then I saw them back up, and then I saw him peek under the shade, and he was like ‘what’s going on here?’ And he was just so excited about the store. So, I knew he was into junking and this thrift store in town had a bunch of nice cowboy boots that were going on sale so I asked Chris if he would go and pick up this collection for me and that’s kind of how our business relationship started.”
The buyers each have a signature look, covering decades, ethos, seasons, genders, cultures, and costumes including jewelry, accessories, and homegoods. “I have my eye, Jessy has her eye, but our buyers have a different perspective,” Micha begins, “they notice pieces we don’t. So, it feels good to have this community of people that round out our products. It’s more dynamic, and more fun, really, because then we get to marvel at every piece that comes in.”
“I get attached to all of the pieces here,” Jessy adds with a laugh, but her admission is sincere. “When a customer brings up a pile of clothes to check out, I can usually tell which buyer brought in which pieces without even looking at the tag, just because of the unique aesthetic of our team.”
Unique, varied, and well defined. The Lost & Found team of buyers (which includes Jessy and Micha) ranges from “Rodeo/Moto” (Lucile), to “Psychedeli/Y2K” (SNOW), to “Ballroom/Festival” (Sister Magic), to “Surplus/Leather Goods” (CC), to “Cottage-Core/Home Decor” (RAM), to “Bicycle Subculture” (W), to “Fringe/Folk” (FC), to “Iconic Fashion” (DM), to “70’s-90’s Business & Casuals” (KAT), to “Prairie-Dress/Cult 80’s” (*mag*), to “Renegade and Union Made” (J ❤ ️B), to “Wild West and Rock n’Roll” (MG).
Found. Lost. Found, Again.
In America, we can cite three significant events that turned “donating” into “thrifting,” and “thrifting” into “vintage” beginning with the Great Depression, followed by rationing during World War II, and (perhaps most influentially) the counterculture movements of the 60’s and 70’s. By the late 20th Century “thrifting” was cool and had become a tool to further fashion and trends. Today, and especially in Nevada County, shopping in vintage stores like Lost & Found, which curates its selection (where many thrift and second-hand stores don’t) to offer one-of-a-kind rare-finds from more than 30 years ago, remains an art, a philosophy, and a method for creative self-expression that frees us from fads by requiring its participants to create, and to find, a signature-style all their own. “I feel found here, at the store, in a way,” admits Jessy, “because this type of work gets me not looking at my screen, it gets me talking to people, it gets me thinking about the past, and thinking about right now, being integrated into town, being grounded, and just having a sense of routine. I think the idea of being found here does ring true because ‘vintage’ is something that’s distilled into a way-to-be. It’s not just a store, it’s a lifestyle. My grandma had a rock, antique, and collectibles shop that I admired so much, and it also had vintage clothing. I always, from the time I was a little kid, thought that I would have a store just like hers. I loved everything about it. I loved that people would make it part of their vacations. I loved that it was a destination. I loved the feeling of it and the old things. And for every single item in the store, she knew the decade and the story behind it, and she would tell me stories. And I loved that, I loved every aspect of that. So, I always thought I would have a store. I didn’t know I would have a specifically vintage store like this. I didn’t know that Micha and I would do something like this. However, we had talked about lots of different ideas that were in the vintage realm so, really, we’ve been kicking this around for a long time.”
“I was a musician, so thrifting was part of touring. We’d get into a town, go to the thrift stores, find a café, and then set up and play, and it’s still this way. When I take a trip and someone asks, ‘What are you gonna do?’ The answer is always, ‘yard sales and thrift.’ That’s how you get to know a town.”
– Micha D.
Jessy uncrosses her legs as the conversation nears its end, showcasing her boots, “These are Bort Carltons,” she says, proudly. “Highly coveted, and thrifted.” Her jewelry is a mix of hand-me-downs and vintage, including a chunky chain-style bracelet of her grandmother’s, while Micha is head to toe second-hand, including the Homburg. The two have lived a life filled with creative expression, with Lost & Found being one of the most significant “constants” these touring performers have undertaken. And yet, Micha admits, “I like being lost, if it can have a good connotation. That’s super inspiring to me, not knowing where I’m going to stay, not knowing what’s next, you know… that lostness of losing yourself to something, in a good way, and then finding yourself too. It’s like the Yin and Yang, we need both.”
“Yeah, I think it’s a circle,” Jessy agrees, “You don’t necessarily go from one to the other, from Lost to Found and just land there. It might be a thing that is just constantly happening. It’s like our clothes. Sometimes they’re sedentary, sometimes they’re on a person, sometimes they go to another person, or end up at a yard sale, or sometimes they end up back at our store.”
Jessy and Micha stand up from their velvety “living room” to prepare for another day among red-bricked walls, unsigned murals, members only jackets, turquoise rings, and the comforting scent of cedar. There’s something about their store that feels both contemporary and nostalgic. Classic and current. As if, perhaps, the past isn’t as lost as we may believe. Perhaps, it’s merely waiting to be found, inside a garage, inside an attic, on a blanket at a yard sale or, thanks to Jessy, Micha, and their team of buyers, inside Nevada City’s newest vintage store, Lost & Found.
227 Broad Street, Nevada City, CA
