Over the past decade or so, fast fashion has become increasingly popular. From Shein to Zara, cheaply made clothes shipped right to your front door have dominated the industry. Despite the fast fashion craze, vintage clothing is making a comeback. Whether it’s the desire for better-made clothing or the nostalgia for the past, vintage is “in.” Not to be mistaken for its popular cousin, “thrifted,” vintage clothing has a story, a tangible piece of the past.
Fayetteville native Michelle Clark and her partner Jamil Rashad have been working diligently to open Westdale Vintage, the area’s first vintage clothing store with the purpose of building community and providing space for people to explore their style and find pieces that speak to their heart. Located in the heart of Haymount, at 1225 Fort Bragg Rd., Westdale Vintage is the perfect complement to the growing vibrancy of the area.
Stepping through the bright new yellow doors is like walking through time. From the ceiling to the floor, every corner of the space is a moment in time captured by meticulously curated pieces, from the clothing to the decor, there is a story to be told.
“In tribute to my father, you’ll look around and see a lot of pictures. My mom and dad over there, over the doors. [Kind of] keeping watch. Both of my grandfathers [are] up there. It’s very family-oriented,” Clark said.
Both Clark and Rashad have traveled all over the country for their respective careers, but always kept their love of vintage style with them, collecting pieces that will be on display and for sale in the store.
“I was born and raised in Raleigh, and vintage has always been something that was embedded in me since I was a kid. I remember my mom taking me to Marshalls, TJ Maxx and thrift stores, Goodwill, and Salvation Army back in the day. And I remember I used to tell her my password used to be ukvintage. I don’t know, maybe I manifested this a long time ago but then I started doing music. Living in New York and LA, and traveling, I was always collecting pieces.
“But I’m a denim head at heart. Denim is like what I love… we were digging in barns. I love that history,” Rashad explained.
Westdale Vintage is a manifestation and product of fate and alignment. Rashad, a musician whose band is currently touring, has taken a step back to invest his time and energy to open the doors to the store.
“Touring was the focus. And then after her father passed, rest in Peace Billy Clark, this right here became available. We were coming back from Raleigh I think, and we saw this space. She said, ‘I’m going to look at these tax records right now and see who the property manager is.’ And it happened. The universe allowed this to happen. To bring something positive to Fayetteville. That’s what I keep telling her.
“When I was growing up I wanted to have a place where I could play dress-up and express myself, and I feel like the kids in Fayetteville are yearning and wanting that. Somewhere cool, where they can play dress-up. It’s got cool music. It’s a cool vibe. And the women can try on these gowns and dresses. It’s just about bringing something positive to the community,” said Rashad.
Clark, who is from the area, has had a successful TV news career and looks forward to this new chapter in her life.
“[I] was born and raised in Hope Mills. I left Hope Mills after I graduated from college. I did the TV news thing for about 20 years. Family always brought me back here. It’s what brought me back a year ago to take care of my dad full-time… I’ve always collected vintage, that’s one of the things that brought us together. I always had a room in my house. It was always all my vintage.
“Moving here, there was no place for me to shop, so two-fold, I got injured and couldn’t run and was missing that dopamine and started sourcing and kind of went overboard. He was like you’re a hoarder, we’ve got to do something about this. I said why don’t we start selling online or do popups,” she said. “So we met Patrick LeClair and we started talking about popups and things we were going to do. We started doing a couple of popups at Dirtbag for Misfits Market and the response was overwhelming. And as Jamil said, my father passed and we were driving late at night and we could see it was empty. We always wondered what was in here. And it was never open. And it was open. I was sending a message to the owner on LinkedIn that night and here we are.”
While there have been some minor delays in opening the store, owners Clark and Rashad are excited to greet new customers, make new friends, and make a mark in the community.
Their plans include fashion shows, trunk shows, and something special for the upcoming prom season. Make sure to follow on Instagram to stay up-to-date on all things Westdale Vintage https://www.instagram.com/westdalevintage?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==.

(Photo: Michelle Clark and Jamil Rashad stand at 1225 Fort Bragg Rd., the location of Westdale Vintage. Since taking over the retail space, the pair have painted the doors yellow and transformed the space into a unique vintage shopping experience for Fayetteville. Photo courtesy of Westdale Vintage Facebook Page)