The Girl Behind The Gram: @birgit.anja

In this series, LFB sits down with our favourite girls from the gram. This month, we got talking to Birgit of @birgit.anja.

*This is an archived article. Since 22 October 2017, LFB is only focusing on Berlin-related topics. Please check out our new platform, YEOJA Magazine, for material like this.

My name is Birgit, I’m 30 years old and I live in Augsburg, Germany. More than two years ago I founded the vintage & street wear store Onimos (Instagram: @onimos.store). Before I started my own business, I studied International Management and Entrepreneurship. I love taking YouTube videos and I have a great passion for taking street style pictures. I also love traveling the world to find the most amazing vintage pieces out there.

When did you join instagram and why?

I joined instagram several years ago and for a long time it has been a private profile to share photos with my closest friends.

What made you decide to start your own vintage and streetwear store?

The idea of starting my own business was always in my mind when I started studying. I decided to go for vintage and street wear because this has been one of my biggest passions for so many years. I’ve visited so many vintage stores and special boutiques all over the world. Those in London, Los Angeles, Paris & Sydney inspired me the most.

What is it like to run your own local business?

It’s a lot of fun! We have the most amazing customers and it’s great to meet them in store. When you run an online shop it’s way harder to get to know your customer.

Is supporting local businesses very important to people from Augsburg?

I think so, yes.

Do you try to support local when it comes to your own shopping habits?

Yes, absolutely.

What is the best and worst part about running a local business?

The best thing is to meet the Onimos customers. I actually never thought about the worst thing. It’s not too bad to have a local business .

Does instagram create a lot of traffic for your shop both online and in store?

Instagram does create traffic a lot of traffic to our store and online shop. But it totally depends on how we use it and what we share. It’s absolutely not enough just to post from time to time. We communicate constantly with our community.

As an owner of a vintage and streetwear store, do you think this impacts the kind of subject matter you post on your instagram account? (i.e. personal fashion?)

Yes, it absolutely does. I spend most of the day around awesome vintage and street wear. This gives me a lot of inspiration and ideas for my own instagram account.

How do you find running two instagram accounts? (your personal and work one?)

It’s so much fun because I post totally different content on both accounts. The store account is all about the products in store, my customers and the shootings we regularly do with amazing models. My personal account is about my life and my style. It a place where people can get to know me better.

Who do you post your photos for? (yourself, your friends, your followers?)

In one way I post them for myself because it feels like a photo diary, but I also post them for my friends and followers and think about what kind of photos they might want to see.

Your instagram seems to showcase a lot of your personal fashion choices. Could you tell us about your own personal style and influences?

My personal style is all about amazing vintage clothes in combination with new trend pieces. At the moments I really love the 90s and all bright colors.

Do you feel like instagram has influenced your personal style? If yes, which accounts inspire you the most?

I think instagram is a great platform for style inspiration. My favorites are @carodaur, @bonniestrange and @delrade.

What impact do you think that instagram and social media has made on the world?

I think instagram and social media kind of changed the way we communicate with each other. I wouldn’t say this made the world a better or a worse place.