Nathaniel Hart brings his clothing biz to farmers market
Newsroom@DominionPost.com
STAR CITY — Nathaniel Hart, 23, has dreamed of opening a clothing shop since he was an adolescent.
“I first started when I was 12,” Hart said. “It wasn’t always easy at all, but it’s all I ever really wanted to do, so I didn’t want to settle.”
Hart’s clothing shop, Gallery 304, is an online store where people can find vintage products.
“Gallery 304 offers a little bit of everything,” Hart said. “I try to always make sure that I stay stocked with stuff for everyone so no matter who you are, you’ll see something that catches your eye.”
The product range offered by Gallery 304 includes not only its expansive West Virginia University vintage collection, but also a variety of movie/television, music and sports pieces.
The online shop was set to have a “brick and mortar location” in Morgantown by this fall.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hart decided that now is not the ideal time to move forward with opening a physical location.
“It was a real bummer to have to push it back, but I think it is definitely the best move considering what’s going on right now,” Hart said.
Despite the delay in opening a store in Morgantown, Hart was able to gain exposure for his business by setting up a station at last week’s Star City Farmers Market.
According to Hart, the turnout far exceeded his expectations.
“I was pleasantly surprised, in a way, because I was hoping for a good turnout. … I honestly never expected the turnout that I got,” Hart said. “There were times that I had lines to get into the booth because there were so many people. … I can’t even put into words what it means to me, and how appreciative I am to everyone who showed up.”
Hart wants people to know that his business is built and run on his personal passion.
“This isn’t even something I do for money,” Hart said. He finds it most rewarding to be able to act on his dreams and witness passion in other people.
“It sounds corny, but one of the most rewarding aspects of it all is just being able to look back and see all the years of hard work I’ve put is paying off, and being able to say that I’m achieving my dream and doing what I love … not a whole lot of people can say the same,” Hart said.
Hart intends to be in attendance at the Star City Farmers Market “every Friday from now on.”
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