BY PAMELA KEECH

You may have heard about a new clothing boutique on East Kirkwood called Vintage Vogue by GW, but did you know that GW stands for Goodwill? The shop is a brand new concept for Goodwill—large fashion photos cover the walls, goods are artfully displayed, and lighting is mellow. The “gently used” merchandise is about 30 percent vintage and 70 percent vogue, meaning designer and name brands. On any day at least 7,000 items are available in the 2,600-square-foot space.

The shop is operated by Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, which serves 29 counties within a 70-mile radius of Indianapolis, helping people find jobs and improving education. “Our roots are in the communities where we have our retail stores,” says Cindy Graham, vice president of marketing. Earnings from the boutique stay in Monroe County.

Bloomington was selected as the first location in Indiana for Vintage Vogue. A few other towns were considered, but Goodwill “found the perfect spot” on Kirkwood. “We are thrilled to bring this to Bloomington,” says Graham. “Not just because of the proximity to campus, but because of the unique, trendy, progressive atmosphere of Bloomington.”

The shop has women’s and men’s clothing and accessories, with the makings of complete outfits—hats to shoes, and everything in between. Labels include J. Crew, Kate Spade, Ralph Lauren, and Banana Republic. There are small home accessories and occasionally a piece of furniture. There are no children’s clothes, toys, or books.

Graham describes the shopping experience they want to create as “like coming into our closet and finding something that worked for somebody else and now works for you.” Prices are only slightly higher than Goodwill’s other retail stores.

Stock consists entirely of donations made in Indianapolis. Nothing comes from Bloomington. “That way,” says Graham, “Bloomington shoppers will know that the other two stores in town will not have less because it has been pulled for the boutique. It’s all about the thrill of the hunt.”

Vintage Vogue by GW is located at 422 E. Kirkwood, across from Nick’s English Hut. For more information visit vintagegw.com. The Kirkwood store does not accept donations, but the stores at 840 S. Auto Mall Rd. and 1284 S. Liberty Dr. do.