The Story

532 (Five Thirty-Two) Vintage is an online vintage clothing store established by Jonas Rogado and Jeremy Laserna, launched in March 2020. Our vision is to provide a platform for creativity and self-expression through our core values of sustainable fashion and storytelling. We strive to provide a space for "creativity and expression through fashion" in all facets of life and media, not limited to vintage alone.

Growing up in first-generation immigrant families from the Philippines, we had to live frugally when it came to our belongings, including the clothes we wore. Our parents often visited thrift stores to provide necessities like clothing for us. We would love to stay true to our roots and push the needle forward by providing quality vintage clothing.

It all started with our love for thrift shopping, whether it be at the famous Savemart, Salvation Army, or Hospice. We had a knack for finding unique clothing items. The rise of vintage clothing and the strong thrifting culture in New Zealand sparked the idea of creating our own vintage clothing store on Instagram.

Meeting in the church, our vision and message are drawn from our Christian roots. The name "532" (Five Thirty-Two) is a combination of two verses that spoke to us when we were starting off:

• Romans 1:16-17: 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” 
• James 4:15: Instead you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that”.

In March 2020, we made our first Instagram post and listed our first vintage piece for sale. With the first lockdown in New Zealand taking effect, there was a delay in our stock arriving. We used this time to study and learn about vintage fashion, build our brand identity, and create a concise plan for our side hustle/business. From then on, we consistently released four pieces weekly. Good things come to those who wait! In September 2020, we reached our first milestone as we hit 532 followers on Instagram; how ironic. We followed up with our 532 showcase video, produced and directed by the very talented Gael Lanigan and modeled by the 'Hawsy Gang' - a group of friends who are always the life of the party, and whom we now also call mates. This video allowed us to meet new friends, opened up many opportunities, and sparked the idea of trying new things.

At around March 2021, Gael would join us as the 'media guy', bringing in skills ranging from videography, branding, production among many others. Gael has a had a huge role in transforming our online presence and business mindset. In May 2021, we launched our website consisting of 100+ pieces and we continue to do so every few months. This was in parallel with another video campaign produced by Gael, modelled by Sam Mercado (@samantha_mercado) and photographed by Amy Ha (@_amyha). We finished the year off strong, proving to ourselves that we could do this consistently while balancing normal life!

For 2022, with burgeoning interests in other fields and ventures, we started to think about integrating other streams that would not only make sense but also help boost 532. As of February 2022, Gael has decided to part ways with 532, but his impact still remains, and he is still a very close friend - watch his space @pitcher_nz on Instagram. We were able to quickly fill in the boots with someone more than capable - Jonas' sister! We aim to further hone our camera and video skills, frequently doing modeling shots, graphics, memes, and reels! As mates, we started to travel around New Zealand and share our endeavors in a series we now call 532 On Tour. We also began doing blog posts, called 532 Out Loud, where we share our thoughts, experiences, and opinions on whatever comes to mind. We believe both of these align with our grand vision - storytelling and self-expression. It was only fitting to wrap up the World Cup year with our good mate Luke Bulay @fashioninj4 to model some of our football kits.

Writing this now, we would have never thought that 2023 would be the best year of our personal lives! Motivated as ever and basking in the highs of 2022, we embarked on a mission to live our best lives. We attended every single market we possibly could, slowly embracing the vlogging life - though it was naturally hard to pull out the camera. 532 On Tour kicked off the year with a trip down to Gizzy and a journey back to the motherland. Accumulating all that annual leave in 2021 and 2022 meant we could go on many more trips! Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, and some European countries were checked off Jonas' bucket list! On September 11, 532 Out Loud evolved from blog posts to a video podcast, and we hope to reach number 1 in the charts one day! Personal milestones included Jeremy securing new job, residency, among many other blessings. On November 13, 532 was featured in the news, where we wrote a few sentences about our roots and what a ride it has been! It cannot be said enough that the absolute highs would never really be felt if we had never really felt the lowest of lows. 2023 presented us with some challenges and hurdles, but God would not put us through anything we cannot handle!

We kicked off 2024 with a slow start, immersing ourselves more into everyday life. As time passes, we find ourselves with less of it each day. We took a little break to evaluate what is possible going forward. With a sense of consistency from the past few years, we have truly mastered our routine and hope to build on it accordingly. In March 2023, one of our long-awaited prayers was answered: Jonas was finally able to embark on the next chapter of his career, along with the opportunity to have another 532 On Tour session, in the US and Canada! We never take for granted the sacrifices of our parents and everyone else around us, allowing us to live our lives to the fullest! As of May 23, 2024, we write this as a collective still motivated as ever to give 532 our best but still trying to figure out how to juggle everyday life.