Stephon Brown has been a business owner since he was a senior in high school.
He had been hand sewing his own pants, hoodies and shirts when people started to take interest in his unique style.
Brown, 21, decided to turn his hobby into a business, which has been in operation since 2015. The clothing he creates is inspired by older brands and trends.
“I like Louis Vuitton, a lot of their ‘90s apparel that they came out with and Tommy Hilfiger of course, they were the main thing in like the ‘90s and ‘80s,” Brown said. “So that’s what I kinda draw my inspiration from, throwback stuff."
This was the third time Brown and his company, Vintage Living, attended the Florida Vintage Market in Gainesville.
The Florida Vintage Market hosts a variety of vendors selling vintage clothing, artwork, jewelry and handmade goods. Brown joined more than 50 vendors on Bo Diddley Community Plaza Sunday for the event.
New to the event and Gainesville was Your CBD Store, which sells health-oriented CBD products.
Items they sell include CBD gummies, CBD-infused creams and CBD oil. All of their products are third-party lab tested, employee Elizabeth Plant said.
She said all of their products have a QR code customers can scan to access an online report form which discloses the amount of CBD in the product. The codes let customers verify the products actually have CBD, since fraud is a problem in the industry.
“There is a lot of fraud on the market when it comes to CBD,” Plant said. “People can slap a label on it since it isn’t regulated when in all actuality it's probably just hemp seed oil, which doesn’t contain any active flavonoids.”
Relax Salt Rooms, set to open the doors to their spa in January, was at the market selling their Himalayan bath salts and edible salts.
Owner Megan Forcey said she wanted to bring salt therapy to Gainesville after going to a salt therapy spa for the first time three years ago.
“I did my first treatment three and a half years ago up in Ashville at a different salt room and I walked out… and I said to my husband ‘I kinda wanna do this for the rest of my life, that was life-changing,’” Forcey said.
She said the spa will be offering salt room yoga, crystal healing and sound therapy once it opens.
Skincare company, Oh Hunni, was at the event selling their natural and homemade skincare products.
Owner Shanna Gilliard said she was inspired to start her company after making her own skincare products for her and her family.
“Starting a company was more so combat my son’s really dry skin, and I have very sensitive skin, so I'm very wary of what I put on it,” Gillard said.
All of her products are made with locally-sourced honey, with her most popular product being the Beastly Beard Balm.
“My full-time job is a project manager for an advertising agency,” Gillard said. “So, this is my baby, this is my passion project.”
The final Florida Vintage Market of the year will return to Bo Diddley Plaza next month on Dec. 1 from 12 to 5 p.m.
Gainesville community members visit the Florida Vintage Market at Bo Diddley Plaza on Nov. 10.
