Fomeaux, a shop selling “curated vintage” sportswear, streetwear and designer clothing, opened its doors to the public on 15 March. Owner Leo Weis describes the challenges of transitioning from a pop-up and how he’s hoping to attract a diverse clientele.
The name Fomeaux is a play on the acronym FOMO, or fear of missing out. As a 25-year-old entrepreneur, Leo Weis may even have a bit of it himself, as he’s specialising in fashion from the 1990s—a decade before he was born.
Situated in what was formerly one of the vol(t)age boutiques (which still has its shop on rue Michel Welter)—and just across rue Philippe II from the luxury label Louis Vuitton—Fomeaux has been refitted with the help of young designer Alexandros Angelidis, with customised shelving and a casual, industrial vibe.
Weis says that when the shop opened on 15 March, after plenty of teasing through campaigns on Instagram and TikTok, the queue was so long that some of his shop neighbours had to ask him to divert it so as to ensure that other entrances were also accessible. “In the weeks leading up to the opening, we said that the first 15 people coming into the shop would get a piece for €1. We also had a Prada bag for €1,” he adds. “We opened at 1pm, and the first people lined up at 6:30am.”
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The fun part of the job
The opening of the shop had been long in the making. Weis’ previous pop-up shop had been open for much of last year, just down the street from its now permanent location. The young entrepreneur actually did his university studies in tourism and hospitality, with a specialisation in event management, but “I always liked vintage and second-hand clothing, and I always thought there was a bit of a market gap here in Luxembourg,” he explains. “It’s not really offered [at the same scale] compared to other European cities.”
Although other second-hand and vintage shops do exist in Luxembourg, Weis thought there was “something missing for the younger generation”. Among his challenges, he adds, is that “I’m not sure if Luxembourg is there yet to fully accept second-hand clothing. But I think it’s becoming more accepted, especially among the younger generation.”
Weis sources much of his supply from the UK and Italy, personally traveling to those destinations to find unique garments and accessories, mainly from wholesalers. Over just a couple days on a visit, Weis says he might sift through thousands of pieces over 10 hours. This is what he considers the most fun part of his work. But later, behind the scenes, the work can be “tedious”, which means washing the items, often with special care, and then pricing and labelling each one.
“I didn’t really think about it for a long time, I just started.”
The current collection on the racks at Fomeaux was carefully curated, and Weis has additional stock he’ll swap out as necessary. He realises it can be difficult for customers who might like a particular garment but it might not be in their size. Nevertheless, “what I like the most about vintage clothing is that every piece is unique. You buy something, and it’s really rare to see someone else wearing the same thing on the street.”
Testing the waters
Weis says he set up as a sole proprietorship and that the process to do so was very straightforward. Currently, Weis is the only one working at the shop—seven hours per day, six days per week. And even when he isn’t working at the shop, there are long hours he spends washing, researching, tagging the clothing. He hopes to eventually hire staff but thinks this might only be possible after he launches an e-commerce platform for the brand.
His advice for other young entrepreneurs thinking to branch out solo: just go for it. “I didn’t really think about it for a long time, I just started,” he explains.
Weis also praises the City of Luxembourg’s pop-up initiative, which allows certain qualified businesses to apply for a space with reduced rent, reducing the risk of first setting up permanently. “If you have an idea, the pop-up shop initiative is a great way to try out your idea… it’s a really great initative for testing the waters.”
