During the last night of their pop-up shops in Midtown Harrisburg, Jeremiah Ross and his partner, Jeannine Harbin, turned to each other with a similar thought—they wanted to create this feeling forever.
“I looked at her and said, ‘I want to sell really dope clothing,’” said Ross.
Nearly three months later, Harbin and Ross (pictured left, with dog Bruce) are preparing for the grand opening of their store, Savage Habit. Located along the 3rd Street retail corridor, Savage Habit features recycled clothing, handbags, shoes and other accessories.
“We’re all about recycling clothing,” Ross said. “It can be new and used stuff. Just because we have a green imprint doesn’t mean we can’t make our own stuff.”
Though they have their certain styles (Ross more urban and centric; Harbin more casual with a splash of street style), they try to keep a different mix within the store.
The shop carries around 250 items, which Ross refers to as “savage,” costing $5 to $100. The clothing and accessories range from casual to urban, with some elegance, too. There are a few sections of customized items, as well as pieces they have picked up from local, New York and West Virginia shops.
“We just love the hunt for fashion and finding pieces that are really trendy and eye-catching,” Harbin said. “What it’s really about for me is finding those pieces and bringing them all together in one place so that people can come into our shop and just find things that make them feel good about themselves. I’m really about empowering other people.”
The fashion buffs met while they were employed at a clothing store called White House Black Market. According to Harbin, that store focused on personal styling, which they both loved and had experience in.
“What really turned into me wanting to [create Savage Habit] was seeing the way you can help people feel better about themselves just through what they were wearing,” Harbin said.
Harbin and Ross attempt to give back to their community by keeping their store stocked with high-end quality items without necessarily a high-end price tag.
“The reality of it is most people are living paycheck to paycheck,” said Harbin. “You don’t have a huge budget to be going out spending money on clothing. But, at the end of the day, we all want to look good, we all want to feel good.”
The team hopes that, in the next few years, they can grow their brand by customizing more pieces using their unique sense of style.
With the grand opening on Friday, Ross and Harbin are still working to make their presence known in Harrisburg and create a pulse in the fashion community.
“Savage Habit is the hottest brand ever,” Ross said with a smile. “You should come out and support your local business and get some fresh clothing.”
Savage Habit is located at 1004 N. 3rd St. Their grand opening is Friday, June 1, 1 to 9 p.m. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook at @savagehabitexchange.
Photos by Mhelaney Noel
