Left Hand: the "second hand" for most people. The first, for just a few. So it is also in the consumption of goods. The first hand remains, for the majority, a first choice; but the Left Hand project aspires to make second hand a first option for an increasing number of consumers.
We are two partners, two souls merged in a project that has multiple motivations and objectives: passion. The passion for vintage _ because there are used clothing and accessories that are treasures. And they deserve to be a first choice again.
But other reasons are added to this passion: ecological responsibility and the need to contribute in a concrete and immediate way to correct environmental impacts of the textile and fashion industry; the (re) discovery of treasures and the recovery of a legacy that tells us stories about aesthetics and fashion design over decades. The appreciation of the work of designers from other decades, for many, now unknown, by others, forgotten.
Finally, awareness of new consumption habits through behavioral changes in this consumption. When people talk to us about the creation of this project, never before (and it's been a few years of conversation) they asked us what we were doing before this (it would be normal, since we only started with the Left Hand in 2014, and both of us had a life before that); as if they couldn't imagine us doing anything else. Naturally. This is a good indicator of how much we feel “fish in the water”, doing what we do. What is certain is that both came from the area of Education and, in addition to the passion for vintage, the purposes of education (without pretending to “educate”, but only inciting behavior change) prevail.
This is the story we wanted to write when we started the Mão Esquerda project: a space for selling 'vintage' clothing and accessories that were lovingly recovered and made accessible to everyone; that would make the consumption of these pieces attractive to people in general (not just regular consumers of vintage); and that could still allow emerging artists to exhibit their work for free.
Our first physical space was officially opened on May 17, 2014, at Rua Santo André.
Since then, many stories have run, many clients and friends have done, a lot of new artists are celebrated, a lot of "initiation" to vintage has happened, a lot of water has run over the bridge.
In 2017, we moved to a new space, without moving away from the block of Fine Arts or Praça dos Poveiros, this time on Rua da Alegria, recovering an old lingerie store from the 60s.
After a few months of construction based on a project under the responsibility of architect Gustavo Guimarães, we inaugurated the new space.
Our project has its own personality, which differentiates it in part from other vintage stores: the usual trips to Asia, allow us to have, in addition to European / national vintage, a wide variety of vintage Japanese pieces from the 40's to 90's (not only traditional imonos k but all kinds of parts).
In sales, the attitude is to respect each piece: washed, ironed and even repaired, if necessary. Everything so that those who visit us can share this attitude, or even learn it, if you are still an 'initiate' in these vintage or second hand things.
Above all, it is a project made with a lot of love. So, after seven years, it still remains. With all the difficulties or setbacks, coming or coming, it is a HAPPY project.
