My name is Sonya Denise Freeman and I love vintage. I live in Brooklyn, NY in do or die Bed-Stuy. I’ve always been a vintage lover for as long as I remember. I grew up on the south side of Chicago and can remember being in Unique thrift stores as far back as 3 years old.

My father was an avid thrift shopper. He always took me along and sent me on missions to find ties and shirts that said “Yves Saint Laurent”. He was a funky dresser as well. He had a huge collection of colorful vintage Hawaiian shirts. I can remember him wearing bright yellow foam loafers. My mother was embarrassed by his style but I loved it. He used to show me how to pick out quality clothes from the myriads of junk.

Daddy at the skating rink in Yves Saint Laurent

His style highly influenced me. In high school, I was known for my eccentric style. When it came time for 70′s day everyone would joke that I could wear my regular clothes. I wore tall platforms, bell bottoms, and funky silk shirts all the time. I once wore this faux 70′s fur coat and everyone teased me for it. I was also known as “Spike” because I would wear an array of 80′s spiked collars all the time. I loved the 80′s punk look way before it went mainstream.

Me at 16 years old in a vintage store in Hawaii. Notice the spiked collar!

Music is also a big influence to me when it come to selecting vintage items. I come from a family of music. Growing up I adored my great aunt Jean Terrell, who was once the lead singer of the Supremes. We had these pictures of her in a treasure box wearing sequin gowns, feather boas, and all kinds of stylish Supremes costumes.

I find that when I go hunting for vintage items I tend to lean towards things that remind me of her pictures. My dad also had a huge collection of records that I’d play all the time. I was mesmerized by The Isley Brothers album covers. I mean those brothers were funky. They had no fashion boundaries. Wild prints, silk scarves, leopard print hats, and so on. All the popular soul artists were very influential to my taste in vintage clothing.

The thing I love most about vintage is actually looking for it. I would find amazing pieces that didn’t always fit me but I didn’t want to leave them. Naturally, the next step would be to start my own little vintage shop! I don’t do this for the money. I love vintage and treasure hunting for pieces is relaxing to me. I love nothing more than to run all over NYC digging for gold. The satisfaction of finding a unique piece is one of the most fulfilling emotions for me.

I have to mention my muse and model extraordinaire Bilen Gaga. I couldn’t have started all of this without her. She is as much a part of 16 Stone Vintage as I am. She has a chic style and embodies the prototype of a true vintage lover. She’s originally from Ethiopia and her flair for stylish vintage African prints inspires me all the time. She is an epic part of the story and I love her to death.

I’m here to share my vintage treasures with everyone. I hope you enjoy this quest of fabulous vintage with me.

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