Graffiti and Silk: two contrasting words, while simultaneously sounding harmonic. The artistic, unconventional pairing is the perfect title to represent the newly opened thrift shop in Purcellville that benefits Mobile Hope. “This is definitely out there, and we like out there stuff. There’s nothing about us that’s typical, explains Amy Burns, the visionary behind Graffiti & Silk.
When you enter the building of 860 East Main Street, you’ll have an aha moment. Your eyes will dart around to interpret and appreciate what volunteers have worked intensely to convey through woodwork, décor, and merchandise. In one corner of the store, there’s an old typewriter. Anyone can sit down and type a line or chapter, sign it or keep it anonymous. It simply exists as a creative outlet.
In the center of the room, are white fabric comfy chairs, splattered with paint and a graffiti word sprayed on each. ‘Shelter’ reads one while another reads ‘love.’ Next to it, one reads ‘Food.’ The words are indicative of Mobile Hope’s programs to empower homeless and at-risk youth and build food security. It’s an inclusive space, even if you’re not there to shop.
In the same vicinity is an old wooden piano transformed into a coffee bar. “You can sit here all day. We don’t care,” adds Burns, who personally repurposed and designed much of the woodwork seen in the shop. She calls the shop “a leap of faith,” noting that it’s “a completely different concept” for Loudoun County. For her, the opportunity to renovate the space was a meaningful distraction as she underwent cancer treatment. Her sister, Allyson Ruscitella, is the director of development for Mobile Hope and approached Burns about doing the work, knowing her love for woodworking.
Celebrating the Imperfect
The thrift shop celebrates imperfectly perfect by truly turning one’s trash into treasures in addition to providing connection. “We thought how could we help stay on our mission with our homeless and at-risk youth but also help our community at large?”
The answer was creating the thrift shop through community donated clothing, shoes, jewelry, and other accessories with all proceeds supporting Mobile Hope. Sustainability was a top priority says Burns with creating the space. “We know the denim industry and the fashion industry are huge in terms of filling our landfills, and we were like how can we take the items that don’t sell and use it for good?”
For certain items that they cannot sell, whether it’s too many holes or stains, they make yarn from them and weave into rugs for resale. Just beyond the piano coffee bar is a community floor loom for weaving the rug. The thrift shop has a collaboration with the Fiber Guild of the Blue Ridge with volunteers who sew the rugs.
Additionally, volunteers upcycle jeans and jackets by placing embroidered patches over holes. Under a sign that reads “Happy Jeans, Don’t Be Blue,” customers can pay extra to customize their jeans with an embroidered patch. Most are using the opportunity as a form of self-expression, opting for song lyrics and more. Recently, one visitor asked for the song lyric, “What if I say I am not like the others?” A lyric from the Foo Fighters. Additionally, at checkout, every purchase is weighed. The volunteers track the weight by the day and month, and eventually year, to add up how much the community saves from the landfill. The total for September and October was 1,400 pounds. “I think it makes people think singularly, like how can I make a difference,” says Burns.
Next to the jeans area is a section titled, “School of Thought.” The green distressed wood comes from Ashburn Colored School and now serves as a permanent backdrop for books that represent marginalized populations, explains Burns. The Loudoun school for Advanced Studies donated the wood. “They knew I was woodworker and knew I was doing woodwork over here and donated what was left after their renovation.”
Every piece added to the space was built by Burns and volunteer hands, including the youth that are a part of Trading Up— Mobile Hope’s trade school that launched in 2022 in partnership with Google. The program focuses on helping at-risk youth identify interests, pursue passions, and acquire skills to achieve independence. Graffiti & Silk is the latest learning lab for the program. Here, “clients will learn aspects of retail from merchandising to software to customer service and work alongside visiting professors, in-house artists, and textile artisans,” a press release states.
Making sure all populations are represented is of critical importance to the shop, notes Burns, who has an autistic son. “If we’re not doing that we’re not doing our mission.” The program works with special needs kids through local high school partnerships. So far, seven students participate.
Another way the shop aims to be inclusive is by having a “Point of View” clothing area. Clothing is hung on a 160-year-old mantle that Burns transformed into a clothing rack. The purpose of this area is to ask customers what they think is in style and they then select the pieces to display. They’ve had many different groups come out to create what they believe is in fashion. “People have not only been supportive, but they want to see what’s next,” adds Burns.
Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
On Saturday, November 19, 2022, (9am-5:30pm), Graffiti & Silk modern concept thrift at 860 East Main Street in Purcellville invites the thrifty, the curious, and the creative to celebrate its grand opening.
Ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 9am, followed by a pop-up vintage candy shop, signature drinks and food, strolling fashion shows, giveaways, special gifts for the first 50 purchasers, and more. All proceeds fund Mobile Hope’s programs to empower homeless and at-risk youth and build food security.
“We are excited to share Graffiti & Silk with the Northern Virginia community,” stated CEO and Founder of Mobile Hope, Donna Fortier. “We are grateful for the support of our donors, corporate partners, shoppers, kids and volunteers, who were critical to our opening.”
Donations are still asked to be dropped off at the Leesburg Mobile Hope office.
Graffiti & Silk
860 East Main Street, Purcellville
