Celebrating Love: Local Vintage Store Owner Marvels at 30 Years in Industry

By Clarisse Kim

The vintage scene in San Francisco is both dynamic and diverse ­– cycling through different eras, cultures, and styles in a single decade. Fashion enthusiast and small business owner Graciela Ronconi reflects this ever-changing wardrobe with her store, Love Street Vintage. 

Settled on the corner of Balboa Street and 19th Avenue, Love Street Vintage is in the heart of the Outer Richmond. Although the storefront is tucked away from the more business-dense avenues, Love Street packs a rich history interwoven among its quaintly decorated shelves and racks of whimsically colored clothing.

Ronconi’s vintage journey dates back more than 30 years – she has been thrifting ever since she was a teenager. 

“I’ve always thrifted as a kid,” Ronconi said, “First, it was out of necessity, coming from an immigrant family. But as a teenager, I thought it was unique. Vintage became a fun and creative way to play with my wardrobe.”

Ronconi later went to City College and SF State University to pursue a degree in fashion, exploring costume design and period clothing. During this time, she found a way to blend her passion for design and her passion for thrifting – owning a vintage store of her own.

“I was helping out a friend at his vintage store, and he decided to sell,” Ronconi said. “I told him to keep me in mind, and the next thing you know, I was owning a vintage store in my early 20s!”

Ever since taking on her own business 30 years ago, Ronconi has been delighted that her experience with vintage is nothing like what she expected it to be.

“You would think vintage would be very stagnant. But no! It always changes,” she said. “It reflects what is current in fashion, what is going on at the time. Vintage has a character, a story.”

Ronconi founded what would become Love Street Vintage in 1994. Her store, named after the 1950’s musical Guys and Dolls, catered to the then-popular swing club culture. Her store sold vintage ’40’s and ’50’s clothing, the latest vintage trend at the time.

In the late ’90s and early 2000s, however, the concept of vintage changed. According to Ronconi, new TV shows and media helped to make thrifting in SF more mainstream.

“Vintage became more acceptable, even hip,” Ronconi said. “All of a sudden, vintage became more boutique-y. My shop transitioned from a funky clubbing store to more of a fashion store.”

Ronconi’s business continued to expand, and around 2010, Ronconi moved her shop onto the corner of Haight and Ashbury. Her shop began to change once more to reflect the new bohemian style of vintage, selling mainly ’60’s and ’70’s clothing.

Around the same time, Ronconi found a new opportunity for Love Street – a location in the Richmond.

“My Richmond story began 16 years ago,” she said. “I’ve used this current space for 16 years, first as a workplace to manage repairs and online orders for the Haight shop, and now as my main storefront.”

The 2020 COVID pandemic created one of the most impactful changes to Ronconi’s business. She was forced to rely strictly on sales from her website, and she ended up closing her Haight location in favor of running online orders at her workshop in the Richmond.

However, once the City started to recover from lockdown, Ronconi tentatively grew back into the in-person sales scene. She decided to open up her Richmond location as a full-fledged storefront.

“I didn’t expect much from such a quiet block, to be honest, but the Richmond community has been nothing but supportive,” Ronconi said. “Next thing you know, other gift shops and coffee houses are opening up nearby, like Wood Goods and Hot Sauce and The Coffee Movement. I know I’m not alone in this little corner of the neighborhood.”

Ronconi says she is still tackling this latest change to her store. Taking in the diversity of the Richmond to properly reflect in her vintage is no easy feat.

“I’m still trying to find my footing in this neighborhood, especially with what direction I want to take my products in,” she said. “The Richmond is so diverse. It’s impossible to pigeonhole the entire community into one broad style.”

Now, Love Street is a home to a myriad of locally sourced clothes and accessories. Ronconi carries a balance of true vintage and contemporary designer pieces, from flamboyant scarves and shirts to sepia-toned coats and pants, to the occasional 49ers jacket. 

One of her specialties includes Native American and Mexican jewelry made by native artists. According to Ronconi, her turquoise and silver pieces have been a Love Street staple since the store’s Haight Street days.

“I sell a bit of everything,” Ronconi said. “It’s an interesting combo, and as weird as it all sounds, I think it works in a special way.”

When Ronconi looks back at her past 30 years in vintage, the Richmond is the perfect “next chapter” for her business. 

“Being in the Richmond feels so natural,” she said. “It’s easy to live and work in the Richmond. My customers are my neighbors, and talking to them is one of the most meaningful parts of my job.”

Ronconi continues to take pride in her vibrant business and dynamic history in vintage. She still thrifts to this day and is always on the lookout for another beautiful piece.

“I’ll never get rid of thrifting as a hobby,” Ronconi said. “San Francisco is just so diverse, and its style of vintage and fashion is so diverse! I’m just eager to be a part of its wardrobe.”

Learn more at https://lovestreetsf.com.