sustainability
A small shop with a circular heart
Hi, I'm Victoria, the mama behind Bohemefolk.
Bohemefolk isn't a sustainable fashion brand in the corporate sense. There's no marketing department, no greenwashing rulebook, no offset programme to point at. It's just me, sourcing one-of-one pieces by hand across Europe, cleaning each one in my home, photographing it on my street, and sending it on to its next person.
What it is is circular. Every piece that comes through this shop already exists. Nothing is made for it. Nothing is restocked. When a piece sells, it's gone. And another piece, somewhere out there, gets a second life instead of ending up in landfill.
That's the whole model.
Where the pieces come from
I source in person from thrift stores, flea markets, charity shops, and estate sales across Europe, mostly Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy. No wholesale lots, no warehouses, no algorithms picking for me. I go regularly. I train my eye. I look for:
- Natural fibres: cotton, linen, wool, silk, cashmere
- Pieces with character: embroidery, hand-finishing, interesting cuts
- Quality construction that will outlive a fast-fashion season
- Condition that's honest: clean, wearable, and described as it is
If a piece doesn't pass my eye, it stays where I found it. Sourcing is the heart of this business, and I'd rather list less than list anything I wouldn't wear myself.
What happens before each piece reaches you
Every item is:
- Cleaned by hand. Vintage natural fibres respond differently to water and heat, so I clean each piece the way it asks to be cleaned. Never bulk-washed, never dry-cleaned with harsh chemicals.
- Inspected and measured. Flat measurements are taken individually and listed on the product page. Vintage sizing has nothing to do with modern sizing, so the tape measure is the only number I trust.
- Photographed individually. No stock photos. No catalogue look. Just the piece itself, on a hanger or on a real body, in the light of the Canary Islands where I live.
- Graded honestly. Three-tier scale: Excellent, Good, Fair. Any specific flaws are called out separately on the product page. A missing button is a missing button. I'd rather under-promise than send a surprise.
Packaging
Orders go out in:
- Reused or recyclable mailers wherever possible
- Tissue paper, not plastic, around the piece itself
- A handwritten note (when the day allows for it)
I'm a one-woman operation, so the packaging supply isn't always perfect. Sometimes I use what a previous parcel arrived in. That's part of the circular logic. If you'd like to send the packaging back to me for re-use on the next order, please do.
What I don't do
I think this part matters as much as the rest.
- I don't make new clothes. Nothing in this shop was manufactured for it.
- I don't restock. Every piece is one of one. When it sells, it's gone.
- I don't claim a carbon footprint number. I don't have one I trust enough to publish. What I can tell you is that the shop's footprint is what one person sourcing and shipping on foot looks like: small, by design.
- I don't sell synthetics labelled as natural. Fibres are listed as they appear on the label, or as they test to the touch when the label is gone.
The bigger why
I started Bohemefolk during a time when I was deeply grateful to be a full-time mom, but also craving something just for me. A way to earn a little of my own money, feel fulfilled, and still stay close to my children. I wanted something flexible, creative, and meaningful. That's when I discovered the magic of thrifting.
In the beginning, I picked up free clothing bags from Facebook and started selling items for 1 euro each. With every sale I learned a little more. I reinvested. I started sourcing better secondhand finds from thrift stores, and slowly grew my eye for quality, brands, and what people love.
Today, this shop is how I support my family, and how I keep beautiful pieces in circulation instead of in landfill. It is, very literally, our family's main source of income. So every piece I list, I list with care. Not because a rulebook tells me to. Because it's our life.
Thank you for being part of this circular story.
Victoria