DeKALB – On Monday Kaizen Vintage announced it would be closing. The announcement was shared on Instagram and includes details about a final sale, along with a message expressing gratitude to the store’s customers and the NIU community.
Kaizen Vintage is co-owned by Michael Forbear, a senior finance major, and Jaxson Grier, a senior business administration major, both students at Illinois State University. The pair purchased the business in October 2024 and rebranded it as Kaizen Vintage.
Forbear and Grier delayed announcing the closure because they were uncertain about whether to remain in DeKalb.
While the owners hoped to expand the business, they were unable to secure the funds needed to purchase an additional location. As a result, relocation became the only realistic option. With both owners graduating from ISU in May, they ultimately decided to temporarily leave the DeKalb location and focus on school as well as fashion events near ISU.
Forbear also explained that sourcing vintage clothing near the ISU area was more accessible and better aligned with the type of curation they aim to offer college students.
“We want to make sure that we have the best curation, not just volume, but the right styles and the right pieces for college campuses,” Forbear said. “Our focus isn’t on selling vintage clothing in general, but on creating an intentionally curated selection for college students.”
Forbear emphasized that the decision to leave DeKalb was not an easy one and they hope to return to the area once the owners both graduate.
“We do plan on coming back to Northern Illinois because of how amazing the Huskie culture is, the brand we built for ourselves, and how close we became with some of the amazing students at NIU,” Forbear said.
Forber described the closure as a temporary goodbye.
“It breaks our hearts to up and leave like this, but it’s more so ‘hold on, guys. We’ll be right back. We’re just going to finish our degrees and we’ll be back bigger, better,’” Forbear said.
The store will have a closing sale from noon to 7 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday, until Jan. 30. Deals include 30% off the tag price for clothing on hangers and a fill a bag for $20 for clothing in piles.
After Jan. 30, Kaizen will have a $10 sale until the store closes. The closing date is to be determined by the owners, who will have the property until the end of February.
Kaizen Vintage will not have a physical location until further notice, but the owners intend to sell at fashion festivals near college towns such as Chicago Vintage Fest and 217 Flea in Champaign, with plans to also visit the University of Iowa and Indiana University.
NIU students can still shop at Kaizen Vintage primarily through Depop but also with eBay and Facebook.
Kaizen’s Depop is under the name kaizenvintagellc. Both Forbear and Grier, who curate the store, are sellers on depop under the names reggierags and thechopsh0p.
For more updates on Kaizen vintage, be sure to follow the store’s Instagram.
