Summer Shepherd (she/they), owner of Cloth of the Curb
In this podcast episode, I interview my good friend, Summer Shepherd. Summer is the owner of Cloth of the Curb, a vintage reselling business that they started in 2016 while studying Communications at McMaster University. Since then, Cloth of the Curb has amassed over 2,200 followers. Summer now runs their business full-time–selling via. socials, reselling platforms, and markets, and renting their pieces for pulling.
In branding and marketing Cloth of the Curb, Summer has been able to showcase their talents in photography, styling, and creative direction, leading to further collaborative opportunities beyond her business. Summer has produced several photo and video shoots, working with fellow Toronto creatives. Their visuals are most reminiscent of the 90s-2000s, as are most of the pieces they sell–which are either from or inspired by the era. Summer has turned their passion into a profitable, full-time project through self-guided learning and collaboration with fellow Toronto creatives. Their success is a great reminder of the fact that formal education in creative work is not a necessity.
The more creatives I meet, the more I understand the foremost importance of hands-on practice and pushing oneself to try news things. There is so much to learn and there are so many resources out there to help you succeed. The most important step is getting started, and as long as there is genuine interest and curiosity, the rest will follow.
Follow Summer and Cloth of the Curb on Instagram to stay posted on their latest projects!
All photos from Cloth of the Curb's socials
