Illustration by Neasden Control Centre
Marie Kondo your closet
Cleaning closets normally falls in line with a new year, new you attitude—or perhaps the all-too-familiar notion of “spring cleaning.” This year, another factor appears to be at play: Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (the Netflix docuseries) has unleashed in many of us an urge to purge.
Perhaps you’ve seen the KonMari folding method pop up in your Instagram feeds, or heard friends talk about ridding themselves of clothing that no longer “sparks joy.” And if you are a shopper who hits secondhand stores, you’ve likely noticed an influx of amazing loot surfacing at consignment shops (cue: the ’80s Fendi blazer I nabbed from Duke Albert in Northeast Minneapolis—score!).
According to a few local consignment shop owners, Kondo-ing is a trend.
Daune Stinson, owner of resale boutique June, noticed people were really purging after Kondo’s first book in 2014. “More recently, I’ve heard from many clients, ‘I watched Kondo’s Netflix show, and I just needed to simplify and streamline my wardrobe.’”
With the “Kondo craze” and general idea of prepping our closets for a new season front and center, let me introduce you to Michele Vig, owner of Neat Little Nest. The mission behind Vig’s full-service company is to help people create beautifully organized offices and homes. Consider her Minnesota’s very own Marie Kondo.
Vig was one of 80 people around the world accepted into Kondo’s intensive, three-day seminar in Chicago. “I felt like I was finally with my tribe,” says Vig, who left her executive job at Caribou Coffee after 10 years and followed her passion of owning her own business.
Most of Vig’s clients aren’t like those you see on Kondo’s show. The people she guides lead busy lives working full time and raising a family. They aren’t hoarders. They are successful people who just want help decluttering. “Many have beautiful homes,” Vig says, “but when you open their closets or pantries, things just aren’t streamlined.”
When it comes to the clothing phase, Vig believes that many people place too much guilt on themselves. One thing she said really resonated with me: “If you are a shoe person, just own it!”
Vig works with her clients to get to the root of what sparks joy, what doesn’t, and why. To her, it’s not just about purging. It’s also about establishing needs. She has clients start a list of items that seem to be missing from their closets. “If you aren’t a dress person, I encourage you to get rid of your unworn dresses,” she says. “Then, it’s time to establish what type of pants—or skirts—you need to feel good about your wardrobe.”
She also rethinks where and how her clients’ things can be stored. “A closet should feel like a store, where you can see everything. Like you are shopping for your morning outfit.” She isn’t a fan of seasonal closet swaps because we can forget about warm-weather pieces that could be styled and reimagined for a nice winter day. Instead, Vig suggests designating a specific closet “home” for pieces within the same category—shoes, formalwear, accessories.
How Neat Little Nest differs from the KonMari method of organizing is Vig’s keen eye for design. “While we declutter, we also help clients with the overall closet system and organizing—from making simple suggestions like switching up clothing hangers and making custom labels to helping with the overall architecture of a closet system,” she says.
The Neat Little Nest team assists clients who have a variety of budgets and needs. To Vig, it’s all about creating a distinct system and process for every person—one that looks and feels good while still being very practical. “It creates another level of joy,” says Vig. neatlittlenest.com
