Prototype Vintage will celebrate two decades in business by opening a second location along one of Austin’s quirkiest, most walkable retail corridors. The new shop will open at 123 E. North Loop on December 6.
The vintage clothing and accessories shop got its start on South Congress in 2005 — long before the street’s full-scale revival. Now co-owners Audrie San Miguel and Emily Larson, who are also longtime best friends, have chosen a second location that holds personal history: they first met at a North Loop block party 26 years ago.
“We’re beyond thrilled to open our second location on North Loop. It really feels like one of the last truly local shopping districts in Austin,” Larson says, calling Prototype a “haven for hip locals.” “We’re so proud and excited to start our next chapter here.”
Prototype Vintage will join the eclectic company of Big Bertha’s Paradise, MonkeyWrench Books, Blue Velvet, and Forbidden Fruit when it opens Saturday, December 6. The address Prototype is moving into was most recently home to Neu Appliances.
Opening-day festivities will include a DJ, drinks, treats, and prizes. Additional details will be posted at prototype-vintage.com and on Instagram at @prototypevintage.
San Miguel, who began her retail career at nearby Room Service Vintage and recently purchased the shop from longtime owner Lucretia Sisk, calls the North Loop strip “legendary.” Sisk converted the mid-century building into Room Service Vintage in 1981.
“We’re honored to be among other legacy Austin businesses, and we’ll fight to keep the independent vibe of the neighborhood strong,” San Miguel says. “There’s no other place we’d rather be, and we hold all our neighbors in high regard.”
