After attending beauty school, serving in the military and working for the government, a range of unique experiences have shaped Laural O’Rourke’s perspective as a local business owner. Since relocating her second-hand clothing store in November, O’Rourke’s vision for her second-hand clothing store, Oregon Fiber Traders, is more than just to make a profit — it’s to build a community.
Raised by parents who both taught at the University of Oregon, O’Rourke’s exposure to the academic environment from a young age made her aware of both local and global complexities.
“My dad is a philosopher,” O’Rourke said. “I knew of Plato before I knew about playdough.”
O’Rourke’s ambition involves healing, both personally and communally. “My operating instructions are to hold myself accountable in loving ways. I used to hold myself accountable in really harsh ways because that’s what my upbringing was like,” she said.
As a local business owner, O’Rourke said inclusivity plays a significant role in her vision for the future of Oregon Fiber Traders as a beacon of community.
“Being a Black woman in this town makes you very aware of who’s forgotten and not seen,” O’Rourke said.
Increased awareness of injustices like discrimination bears a heavy burden but also lights the path to change. O’Rourke explained that, although getting upset about injustice in this world is exhausting, she was recently reminded that ignorance is bliss and knowledge is power.
“I just want to connect with people,” O’Rourke said. “I think, after COVID, we’re hungry for connection, but we don’t understand what we’re hungry for.”
Unlike how large-scale second-hand clothing operations seek to maximize revenue, O’Rourke envisions a culture that prioritizes community over capital.
“In our society, we’re not connecting, and we’re not listening at all,” she said. Having a space for conversations is integral in building strong connections. Furthermore, O’Rourke notes that conversation plays a key role in social change.
“I used to be like, ‘don’t tell me what to say,’ but now I understand that language is power,” she said.
O’Rourke’s early exposure to the importance of language was formative in how she later came to understand other forms of communication — specifically visual communication and self-expression in the realm of fashion.
During beauty school, O’Rourke started modeling and began to better understand the significance of visual presentation.
“I already knew how important verbal presentation was because my mom taught English,” she said, but she quickly began to grasp how clothes and self-presentation function in society. “Fashion is wearable art,” O’Rourke said.
O’Rourke’s work ethic, like her knack for visual presentation, has been influenced by the sharper scrutiny she has faced throughout her life as a Black woman.
“I do think in a lot of ways I have to work harder than that person next to me. I’ve had to prove myself all the time,” she said. Hard work, as well as hope, are central to her goal to create an involved community.
“If I’m not working hard enough, I’ll just work harder until I get to where I need to go,” O’Rourke said.
Her long-term plan for Oregon Fiber Traders includes sewing lessons and eventually having her own clothing line. Despite the difficulties of running a small business, O’Rourke remains optimistic with a game plan: “Connecting with people is my special sauce.”
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