Photo by Gloria Kilbourne
Berriez is bringing plus-sized vintage to Brooklyn
Founder Emma Zack is offering up a retail experience that is ‘curated for curves’
Many have experienced that secondhand shopping serotonin hit. The elusive high you get after spending hours searching through vintage Levi’s and pre-loved graphic tees before scoring that one perfect gem. But for many plus-size shoppers who don’t always see themselves reflected in mainstream trends, this feeling is fleeting, far and few between.
Which is exactly why Emma Zack launched Berriez, a vintage retail shop curated, as she says, for curves. “I started it off in 2018 as just, ‘Hey, I’m gonna have fun with my friends and take pictures in my backyard.’ It was all solely through Instagram. But then it took off.” Zack immediately attracted an audience due to her fun-loving style and ethos of inclusivity, and the rest was history.
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Standing in the middle of Berriez’s brand-new studio, an expansive Bed-Stuy loft drenched in natural light that opened its doors last month, Zack explains, “I saw that there were really no curated, plus-sized vintage stores.” The walls of the studio are painted all-white, but they are decorated with Zack’s zany, curated pieces — multicolored crocheted creations, lively graphic tees — and eclectic colorful interior design. The new brick-and-mortar is actually the second Berriez location — Zack’s first shop was too small and the demand was so great that, she says, it was time for an upgrade.
“I always had a sense of personal style, but it wasn’t that colorful or whimsical until recently. I think that can be attributed to the fact that I’ve always been plus-size,” she says. Zack was sporting a lively red cardigan that matched the energy of the space. “We’re taught to wear black because black is flattering and no prints because prints will draw too much attention to our bodies. So for me, discovering this type of fashion a few years ago, it felt nice not to have to think about whether or not something is flattering on me.”
Photo by Gloria Kilbourne
Reclaiming fashion
Zack is sharing that ethos with other plus-size individuals, spreading the idea that everybody — and every body — deserves to feel seen and understood. At Berriez you will find wild ready-to-wear garments, custom corsets and reworked collaborations alongside pieces by her designer and artist friends.
“Being plus-size, I can never find anything that’s ‘cool,’ ever. And I have seen a lot of conversations about how if you’re plus-sized, you have to try so much harder to be fashionable,” Zack says. “You have to get things custom-made or go out of your way to find the right pieces. So to be able to offer ready-to-wear that is fun is amazing. I’m trying to give people what we’re told not to wear.”
To that end, she says, if she sees a brand that exclusively sells to thin folks, she’s going to figure out a way to recreate the looks for plus-sized people, too. Zack collaborates with designers on everything from patchwork pieces designed with FiOT to Helmut Lang-inspired garter tees made from deadstock t-shirts, co-created with Shop Journal.
“I love wearing my friends’ designs as well as smaller, sustainable labels or vintage. That, for me, makes wearing clothes so much more special,” she says.
It’s not just about the clothes
Though Berriez succeeds as a vintage wonderland, the most spirited part of the entire operation might be the community Zack is creating here.
“Emma’s not only a phenomenal stylist with an insane eye for clothing, but she’s also a community leader,” customer Ginevra Moscati gushes. “Berriez is not just a place I go to shop; it’s my hub for what’s new, what’s cool and which brands are not going to treat me like I’m less than because I’m fat. It’s just so … relaxing to be seen as normal instead of an outcast.”
Another shopper, Maddie Silverstein, echoed these sentiments, expressing an instant feeling of belonging as soon as she stepped through Berriez’s doors. In an experience that can often be daunting and traumatic for those who may not fit the impossible-to-attain, super-modelesque “mold,” Zack provides a place of joy and confidence.
“To be inclusive, truly, brands have to prioritize sizing and building a relationship with plus-size customers,” she says. “I love that when you make your shopping appointment, Berriez also has you fill out a form with your personal style information. They go out of their way to cater to everyone’s needs and style.”
By creating this safe space for others who resonate with her own feelings of exclusion when it comes to popular trends and the secondhand clothing industry, Zack hopes other vintage retailers, designers and editors get the message.
“There’s still the basic fact that many of us are rarely included in the narrative simply because of the way our bodies look,” she says. “I have to re-order all of my independent designer collaborations once or twice a month because they’re selling so quickly. To me, that just shows the demand is there. I hope we see more and more of these brands beginning to make that happen for us.”
Berriez is located at 544 Park Avenue in Bed-Stuy. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Closed Tuesdays.
