Rising Stars: Meet Megan Cunningham of Springfield, MO

Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Cunningham

Hi Megan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi, my name is Megan and I am the owner of Naughty Kitty Vintage. I began collecting vintage clothing when I was a little girl. I remember thrifting with my grandma when I was around eleven or twelve years old and found an awesome 1970s dress that was magenta with flowers on it and it had a matching jacket and I’ve been hooked on all things vintage ever since (and I still have that very dress hanging in my closet). From that point on, I began collecting anything vintage that spoke to me, from vintage clothing, decor and furniture. In 2014, I married my best friend and husband Ryan who has always been my biggest supporter. I began selling vintage full time in 2017 after having my own personal inventory to sell and buying the inventory from the local vintage stores that closed down here in Springfield and other surrounding areas. In 2021, I was kindly offered a very large space located in the top floor of Camp Flea in Ozark, MO where I sell vintage clothing, furniture and decor and just recently opened up a second space on the main floor to sell our vintage furniture and wares. Today, I am busier than ever selling internationally online through my website at naughtykittyvintage.com, selling locally at Camp Flea and streaming weekly on WhatNot. My husband and I enjoy sourcing and finding vintage treasures to bring to our stores and do so any chance we get!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a smooth road other than I’m a girl with big dreams to chase and I’m known for often biting off a bit more than I can chew. Every day I get to do what I love with the people I love and that is a blessing. I’m forever grateful for the relationships and friendships I have made along the way selling vintage.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
When I first started selling vintage clothing, my focus and passion was always mid century fashion, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve grown to love all eras of vintage fashion. I love selling high-end and rare vintage pieces to sell to my clients from mid century western wear to avant-Garde bedazzled 1980s dresses, I just truly love it all. While I still love and focus on mid century fashion, I love finding pieces that speak to me, if it’s a bit odd or bold, that tends to be what I am drawn to and what my customers come to me to find. I sell my vintage pieces worldwide and sell to films as well as for the stage.

I am always proud to sell to my wonderful clients and when they come back to me again and again for their next unique find, but I also really love seeing my vintage pieces make it on film or to the stage. I have sold to the 2022 film “Elvis”, to selling 1920s garments worn by Margot Robbie in “Babylon” as well as Ryan Murphy series and some have been worn on Broadway by Jessica Lange. I love knowing that I saved a piece from being potentially thrown away in a landfill to being meticulously restored, cleaned and repaired and it making its way across the world in film is pretty cool to me.

Any big plans?
I have been absolutely blessed by being able to obtain large collections of vintage fashion, especially in the past few years and I hope to one of these days have my own space that reflect my shop and it’s own vibe. Those vintage polyester dresses sure do take up a lot of room haha! I have always longed to own a historical building to sell from and I hope to achieve that dream some day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.naughtykittyvintage.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naughtykittyvintage
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NKVVintage