Cleveland is a place thriving with small businesses. The hidden treasures a vintage entrepreneur finds revamp what we call design. Leah Mira, founder and proud vintage connoisseur of The Modern Mama, has made her mark on reusing flea finds. The Modern Mama can be found monthly, popping up at The Cleveland Flea and The Eastside Flea.

“The fact that we hand-make items and are vintage dealers is very unique,” stated Mira. Their floating shelves, jewelry wall hangings and repurposed table runner tapestries are just a few of her unique designs. With the help of her husband, Dylan Mira, their newly created business has been thriving.

When asking Mira about her business, something that sticks out is her admiration and appreciation for her husband. “You don’t find too many partners also acting as business partners. It’s hard and rewarding. My success is his, and his success is mine.”

From drawing out a design, prototyping products and builds, the couple has continued to strive forward creatively since April 2017. “Dylan was pushing for it all along and I think he always saw me in a creative business. I absolutely could not do it without him,” said Mira.

Many find it difficult to maneuver their way through thrift shops. Overwhelmed with the quantity of chairs, clothing, tea cups and art, where do we even start? A few of Mira’s suggestions for finding a piece includes knowing its worth, making a list of what you are scouting for and never being afraid to pick something that needs a bit of TLC.

“The more you’re out there looking, the better odds you have of scoring something really unique and sought after,” Mira commented.

Camille Renner, a junior at John Carroll, has been gawking over The Modern Mama since her first time discovering the vintage booth at The Cleveland Flea.

“Modern Mama is my favorite flea vendor stop because they have high-quality, unique, interesting items for sale while maintaining the most fair prices allowing even the thriftiest shopper to find the perfect item at their booth,” commented Renner.

The Modern Mama has made retro dresses, chairs, purses and even glassware trendy. Renner stated, “ My favorite item I’ve purchased at the flea was a basic white mug from Betty’s retro that very simply states ‘classy lady’ on it. I love it because it gives off vintage vibes while reminding me to be a strong, classic woman.”

As for the Mira family’s future plans, their hopes are to look into doing more wholesale marketing and someday putting their finds into local stores since they do not have their own storefront yet.