STORIES UNDER THE SUN. Darcy Parr pictured with a Seven Suns Vintage tee to purchase for herself. The vintage shop opened in 2020 in the South Barstow district of downtown Eau Claire with Savannah Smith at the helm.

Darcy Parr and Savannah Smith were first introduced over a 1970s Lee Storm Rider jacket and have been inseparable since. Smith, owner of Seven Suns Vintage (305 S. Barstow St.) now offers several one-of-a-kind pieces from Parr’s personal collection for customers to purchase.

From an early age, Parr, a local vintage collector and curator, has cherished unique and valuable items. As a co-owner of Moxie Mercantile — a former vintage consignment shop in Tallahassee, Florida — she found the perfect outlet to expand her sourcing of distinctive vintage pieces to share with her community.

“Darcy just really likes hanging out with me,” Smith said. “We mutually just like geek out and laugh and just appreciate the history of things. She is someone who appreciates, that is the best part.”

Parr and Smith browse through a collection of various vintage vests and denim jackets. The two first met over a Lee brand Storm Rider jacket, which Parr gifted to Smith to sell at Seven Suns Vintage.

With her experience in the vintage boutique retail space, Parr has given Smith valuable tips for curating inventory and decorating her shop.

Smith highlighted backend processes — effective strategies to track and price inventory — to showcase the significant impact Parr has on the shop.

“Darcy has a keen eye for displays and has suggested several merchandising ideas,” Smith said. “It's always exciting to receive such feedback, allowing us to adapt the best ideas and make them our own.”

Smith displays a blue maxi skirt from Parr's personal collection of vintage clothing available for sale at Seven Suns Vintage. Parr will often pull pieces from her own closet, to share with the shop and give her wardrobe a second life. 

Parr said she brought in an antique cosmetic mirror from her collection when Seven Suns Vintage did not have an accessible way to try on jewelry for sale.

“This was my grandfather’s, from Tennessee,” Parr said. “My parents were born in the 1920s so it would have been used in the 1910s — the handle looks Art Deco to me.”

When sourcing for the shop, Smith said she always wants to know the story behind an item and share legacies with the customers who bring home an item from Seven Suns Vintage.

While sitting together, Parr was working on a vintage circular jigsaw puzzle by Springbok. This puzzle featured a hidden message in the design, along with a story from Parr’s childhood.

Parr pieces together a circular vintage puzzle. She first began collecting Springbok puzzles in the seventh grade and has held onto these colorful puzzles to now share with customers of Seven Suns Vintage. 

“It's just something I’ve had forever, I started collecting them when I was in the seventh grade,” Parr said. “They were just sitting on my shelf and I thought, well, ‘This would be cool to sit down in her store.’ ”

The puzzle’s hidden message read, “Something tells me I’m not the only one.” Smith said she feels the same way when asked about the Eau Claire community’s love for stories in second-hand pieces.

“To know that there are so many different family members or people who have used and loved the item – I think that is such a beautiful thing of second-hand reselling in general,” Smith said.

Parr and Smith stand together in front of Seven Suns Vintage (305 S Barstow St., Eau Claire). The two bonded over their love for vintage fashion, joyfully sifting through the eclectic racks of second-hand treasures at the shop on weekdays.

Seven Suns Vintage (305 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire) is open Wednesday-Friday, 11am-6pm; Saturday 10am-6pm; and Sunday 12-5pm. For the latest updates on seasonal vintage collections, follow @7sunsvintage on social media.