At the end of Santa Barbara Street exists a space where funky clothing pieces hang on racks in front of what used to be an old loading dock. Vintage light fixtures hang from an industrial ceiling with exposed pipes. This creates the setting for Assemblage, the Funk Zone’s newest vintage shop. 

“It’s not your ideal retail setting to most, but for me it’s perfect,” owner Henry Castelo said.

Castelo has been in the resale industry since 1997. “Some businesses are in the business just to be in the business; I’m in the business because I love what I do,” he said.

Opening in May, Assemblage has 20 vendors in one space. The shop offers vintage clothing, accessories, records and furniture.

Why Assemblage 

Assemblage is an art form of gathering fun objects and creating another life with them, Castelo says.

He began to practice this mindset during his time on a commune in Ojai. “Ojai really took my blinds off to a different way of living,” Castelo said. “Those people who lived a life of used clothing and fixing something instead of buying it new.”

In addition to resale, Assemblage buys used items that can be repurposed, like old light fixtures, plumbing parts and doors.  

Castelo gave an example of a client who used Spanish-style iron from an old window to make a gate for her garden in her newly remodeled home.

The Future for Assemblage

Assemblage is already beginning to expand; its most recent addition is an outdoor courtyard.

The space displays outdoor furniture and provides shoppers with a place to hang out and socialize, Castelo said.  

“I want to give a glimpse of the community’s character. I want to give a glimpse of the community’s unity. I want to give a glimpse of steadfastness,” he said. 

The shop at 111 Santa Barbara St. is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Tuesdays.