Katie Carter, Consignment Concierge
Text by Sara Wright Covington Photography by Olivia Reed
Huntsville native Katie Carter sits cross-legged atop a well-worn mid-century modern ottoman in the living room of her 1920s bungalow in downtown Huntsville. On a dull, slightly chilly spring day, Carter is a mirage, looking breezy and bright-eyed in a floor length floral satin skirt with a chambray button up shirt that is the perfect marriage of daytime casual chic and evening cocktails at Domaine South. I’ve come to spend the morning with her to interview her about her hobby turned business venture, The Hunt Shop, where she specializes in secondhand shopping and rehoming fashion, furniture, and all manner of discarded finds that would otherwise have gone to waste.
As we chat, Opi the family cat, hovers close by at all times. “Everything in this home is thrifted, even the cat,” laughs Carter. “I got Opi at A New Leash on Life thrift store. He was in a cage, and I saw him and was like, ‘that’s my cat.’”
Fairly blushing with a modest “this old thing??” grin and gesture when I compliment her on the fantastic dress, Carter confesses that her outfit, along with much of the items in the room, is thrifted. “Thrifting is my Zen state,” she confesses. “It really is like therapy for me.”
Carter says she first discovered her love of secondhand shopping while living in Chicago. “Chicago has the most amazing thrift stores,” she says. “Like most people, I first began thrifting around Halloween and I quickly became obsessed. I’ve always been into fashion and I originally thrifted just for myself, and then my friends would be like, ‘Where did you get that? Pretty soon, I was thrifting for other people.”
Carter began The Hunt Shop with a friend, initially doing personal shopping and styling for clients and offering the occasional pop-up shop, but after having children and moving back to Huntsville, she wasn’t sure it could continue.
She took a break for a while, only thrifting for herself, but was pleasantly surprised by the amount of buried treasure North Alabama had to offer. She began her business again, and this time around, she admits it’s more than just the thrill of finding buried treasure giving her purpose. As a full-time, work-from-home wife and mother of three, she feels a responsibility to commit to being less wasteful and more responsible with her purchasing.
Carter is one of millions who are choosing to support the sustainable fashion movement, which is an effort dedicated to increasing the integrity of textile manufacturing and purchasing. It broadly encompasses making more economical choices for production and reducing the carbon footprint, while also embracing social responsibility that acknowledges fair wages and working conditions in production. In a world of fast fashion, the mass production of cheaply manufactured textiles, trendy clothing is widely available for low prices. Carter is an advocate for holding out and seeking quality, even if it’s secondhand. “It’s like the meat industry,” she says. “We don’t want to see it and we don’t want to know it. We want the shirt for $10, but we don’t want to know about the child laborer who made it.”
Thrifting is just one more way to help save resources, and Carter insists there are other ways to conserve without even having to set foot in a thrift store if that’s not your thing. Businesses like thredUP, Poshmark and Tradesy are just a few secondhand sites that specialize in giving used goods a new life. “I love thrifting because I can experiment with trends in a low-risk way,” she says. “I might not want to take a risk on a $100 sweater, but if it’s $5, then sure. Thrifting gives you the freedom to experiment and have fun without sending yourself into financial ruin.”
She goes on to explain that the definition of sustainable is twofold. “It’s really a give-and-take,” she says. “There are certain fabrics, for example. Obviously it’s preferable to own clothing that didn’t take a lot of oil or water or freight shipping to produce. Polyester is basically plastic, but it was created to withstand the test of time and to not need ironing. Cotton, on the other hand, is biodegradable. But that polyester jacket you buy is going to be around forever, so if you wear it 200 times, then it can be worth it. I’m not a snob about brands or whether it’s vintage or not,” she says. “But I do prioritize quality.”
Finding these quality items is how The Hunt Shop is able to help. Carter specializes in shopping for all different types of clients with varying styles, ranging from the super trendy to the tried-and-true classic. For some, The Hunt Shop is how they can get curated new looks without the hassle of the hunt. For others, it’s about adding fun pieces and accessories to an already established aesthetic. Clients seek Carter’s help to pick out looks for specific occasions or events, and some simply want to try something new. “There is so much out there,” says Carter. “The Hunt Shop is a service for people who don’t have the time or are maybe just too overwhelmed by the process. So that’s where I come in. I hunt for it, I clean it, and I style it.”
Carter says her favorite spots are traditional thrift stores, but she frequents estate sales, Facebook Marketplace, and e-commerce sites like Etsy, where she is able to support small and local businesses. She admits that there are days when convenience is king, and a trip to Target is just necessary, but even just buying locally is a contribution.
“It doesn’t mean you have to handmake your shoes,” she says. “But I think we all have a responsibility to be thoughtful if we can.”
In addition to personal shopping and styling, The Hunt Shop offers one-of-a-kind themed, curated boxes for different occasions. The boxes are coordinated, curated selections of items Carter has gathered and styled to be worn together or as a complement to another outfit. Price points on the boxes range anywhere from $50 to $200, and Carter strives to create seasonal, fun things when she can. “For example, for Valentine’s Day, I did some boxes with some fun daylight looks,” says Carter. “For the holidays, I might do a cozy blanket scarf with a vintage Ernest Hemingway book.”
No matter the season, Carter’s goal is to make women feel comfortable with coming into their own with their fashion choices. “How you walk, how you talk, how you carry yourself changes when you feel confident. A lot of that has to do with your clothing and your style,” she says. “And there are so many great things out there to be found from thrifting. Sustainability is about using what you have today and making it work so you aren’t wasteful. The Hunt Shop is about helping you build a closet of quality, sustainable clothes you will wear and love.”