258pm salon was founded by two friends one serendipitous summer afternoon back in 2019. Like the spontaneity of the shop’s inception, its collection is always fresh, refined, experimental, and well styled. The co-owners and the vintage visionaries behind the brand recently shared with Display Copy some of their favorite sourcing memories and styling tips.
DISPLAY COPY: What initially sparked the inception of 258pm salon?
258pm salon: We’ve been friends for over ten years and have shared countless adventures together. Before joining forces, we had each been collecting designer vintage on our own, mostly just to wear ourselves. We loved hitting up vintage fairs and shops together, and despite our different personalities, we discovered that we had a strikingly similar sense of style and visual flair. We’d often find ourselves eyeing the same pieces and end up buying matching items. Then, one sunny afternoon at 2:58pm in 2019, we had a spontaneous conversation about teaming up and selling our collections at a vintage collective store in Brooklyn. It all came together so naturally—no formal planning or business intentions. We just thought it would be a blast to work on this project together out of our love for beautiful and timeless things.
DISPLAY COPY: How would you describe 258pm salon in 3 words?
258pm salon: Playful, spontaneous, caring.
DISPLAY COPY: The pieces 258pm salon offers are so unique and elevated. How have you managed to refine your sourcing aesthetic?
258pm salon: This is a tough question to answer. Initially, it was all about our personal styles, so the sourcing process felt natural to us. We handpicked and curated items that we genuinely liked and would wear ourselves. We were very selective, which sometimes felt limiting. Over time, instead of refining our aesthetic, it’s more accurate to say that we expanded it in order to incorporate other elements and experiment with fun ideas we observed in our customers and the world around us. This reciprocal relationship with our customers has allowed us to grow and evolve. We now curate a much wider range of styles than when we first started this project.
DISPLAY COPY: How do you hope your customers will feel when they wear their 258pm salon pieces?
258pm salon: We hope to make our customers feel playful, creative, and most importantly, comfortable in our pieces—allowing them to explore, connect with and celebrate their unique identities. The experience of dressing goes beyond mere consumption. It's about caring for and treasuring a garment for its history, design and craftsmanship for many years.
DISPLAY COPY: Do you have a favorite designer collection or runway season?
258pm salon: Issey Miyake Fall Winter 1996.
DISPLAY COPY: Could you describe a treasured item in the 258pm salon collection?
258pm salon: Our ultimate signature find is a vintage 1980s-1990s Hermès embroidered quilted coat. We adore every aspect of these pieces: the unisex style, exceptional quality, vibrant colors, intricate details, and flexible fit. We've discovered many unique color combinations, and naturally, each of us had to keep two or three for ourselves to wear. Our friends are equally enamored! They're effortlessly stylish, versatile for layering, and simply indispensable in our wardrobes.
DISPLAY COPY: The 258pm salon styling is exceptional. What do you love most about the creative process of putting together a look?
258pm salon: Thank you! We really take pride in our styling. We set aside a whole day just to style looks before our shoots. What we enjoy most about styling is studying the construction of each piece of clothing and discovering new ways to wear them—like turning a top into a skirt or experimenting with wearing items inside out, etc. We also have a love for patterns and colors; mixing unexpected patterns well together feels incredibly rewarding.
DISPLAY COPY: Do you have any styling tips?
258pm salon: Be bold, be creative, be open to experimenting—layering is key. Don't hesitate to play with sizes; oversized pieces are our favorites! Statement pieces speak for themselves; let them shine alone or pair with simple staples like jeans. Another effective styling tip is to combine pieces from the same designer [Issey Miyake] into an outfit, which often yields effortless coordination.
DISPLAY COPY: What are some of your favorite ways to wear Pleats Please Issey Miyake?
258pm salon: Our favorite way to wear Pleats Please is to mix and match their vibrant patterns and colors. These pieces excel in their unique forms and how they shape the body, allowing for creative manipulation of the silhouette.
DISPLAY COPY: Could you share some insight to the 258pm salon love for Japanese avant garde designers?
258pm salon: 258pm salon specializes in curating designer garments from the 1970s to 2000s. As an Asian women-run small business, our collections often highlight Japanese avant-garde designers who gained international acclaim in the 1970s and 1980s. We've curated the Issey Miyake Pleats Please series, from the 1990s-2000s featuring runway and timeless solid color palette pieces, alongside the Comme des Garçons tricot collection and the effortlessly chic sporty style of Hai Sporting Gear. These collections emphasize playfulness with their fun silhouettes, reflecting the innovative spirit of pioneers like Issey Miyake, Kenzo Takada, Yohji Yamamoto, Kansai Yamamoto, and Rei Kawakubo.
DISPLAY COPY: Congratulations on the opening of your Showroom! Could you share a bit about the space and what makes it special?
258pm salon: Connecting with our customers is incredibly meanningful to us. The tactile and physical experience of seeing people connecting with our work brings us joy. We love chatting and having a good time with old friends while meeting new faces. We're deeply grateful for all the support and love that we've received over the years, and it's incredibly special that many of our customers have become close friends on this journey.
At the physical showroom we offer seasonally curated collections and special themed selections. Additionally, we launched our guest salon series, collaborating with invited artists and designers to showcase their work.
DISPLAY COPY: What are you looking forward to as 258pm salon continues to grow and evolve in the coming years?
258pm salon: We hope to create our own line that reflects our aesthetics and personality in the future. Whether it's clothing or something completely unexpected, sustainability remains a core principle and we want to keep creativity at the heart of 258pm salon.
