In the heart of uptown Athens sits a vintage lover’s haven: a storefront packed with aged clothing, accessories and handcrafted jewelry.
That haven is the newly opened Bleeding Heart Boutique, located at 28 ½ E. State St.
The owner of the store and Athens Local, Hannah Morgan, described the atmosphere as “bright and fun, colorful, funky, a little weird and eclectic.”
When a shopper walks into the store, they are met with black and white checkered floors, colorful wall art and racks of hand-picked clothing collected by Morgan. She sells everything from belts, bags, authentic vintage clothing items and even locally sourced art.
She says there is a little something for everybody.
“No matter your age, size, shape, gender expression, whatever, you can find something fun here,” said Morgan.
Morgan first started her business in 2015. She began selling vintage-curated jewelry, clothing and accessories in the form of a pop-up shop.
Morgan traveled to flea markets and festivals to sell her pieces, but she always dreamt of having her own store one day.
“The actual storefront itself was always kind of a little pipe dream of mine,” she said.
While looking through Craigslist one day, she discovered the perfect location to open up her shop: the storefront on E. State St. nestled next to Republic of Athens Records, or ROAR, and close to Passion Works Studio.
“I really put like every penny that I've had to starting up the business,” said Morgan.
While redecorating the store in April, Morgan fell off a ladder, fracturing her spine. She spent time in the hospital and healing before returning to work.
“That was a big hurdle, but thankfully the support of the community, it blows me away every time,” said Morgan.
Friends and family started a GoFundMe in support of Morgan’s healing journey and Bleeding Heart Vintage.
After these setbacks, on July 29, Morgan’s dream finally became a reality. Bleeding Heart opened its doors to the public.
Bleeding Heart is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 7 p.m.
Makenzie Price, the social media manager for ROAR, said she looks forward to collaborating with Morgan.
“We're talking about more collaborations between the two businesses,” said Price. “She's just great, and she's doing a great thing.”
Price feels that ROAR and Bleeding Heart will bring each other new customers because there is a connection between vinyl collectors and vintage lovers.
“People enjoy the aesthetic of (vinyl), and they enjoy the aesthetic of vintage,” said Price.
As Bleeding Heart continues to grow, Morgan has a few goals for the business: continue creating a welcoming and inclusive space and encourage consumers to shop secondhand.
“The fast-fashion industry is a major polluter,” said Morgan. “If I can sell a cute outfit for the weekend to someone who would have normally gone online and order from Shein or something, then great, goal achieved.”
Morgan now looks forward to an increase in new customers as Ohio University students return to Athens for the fall semester.
“From the beginning of me just having this idea for the store, I feel like people have been really behind me on it, and I appreciate that,” said Morgan. “So, a big thank you out to the city of Athens.”
