Double Take

Vintage showcase Twinhaus is the stylish brainchild of Oklahoma multi-disciplinary artist and sibling duo Justice Smithers and Amber Rae Black. “We were the artists of the family, and so we kind of banded together. And then the older we got, it was like, ‘Oh, are we best friends?’” Black smiles while reminiscing about what their brother-sister dynamic was like growing up as the genuine “black sheep” of the family. “We’re family but also best friends.” Smithers emphasizes, “people think we’re twins, so we just leaned into that lore.”

Justice, a seasoned photographer turned full-time small business owner, has been a lifelong creative collaborator with his sister and business partner Amber, who is also the lead artist at the immersive art experience Factory Obscura, and an apprentice at local studio Cassie Stover Tattoos.

“We differ enough to where it helps balance each other out. She is more Victorian and I’m more Modern, and Twinhaus is the merging of those things,” Smithers says. “They meet to create our aesthetic,” Black continues, reinforcing the “twin” rumors simply in the way they often finish each other’s sentences.

Beyond surrendering to the twin allegations, the intentional spelling of “haus” refers to fashion design houses, but the backstory of the name Twinhaus ties back to another shared coming-of-age memory: Black distinctly remembers how “we would do this thing when we were younger where we would drive around and dream of living in these big, fancy houses. We would always try to find two houses that were next door to each other, that were like each of our styles. And so when we would find them, we would call those the ‘twin houses,’ and that's where the name Twinhaus comes from.”

Their shared goal to bring “accessible luxury” to their hometown through a brick-and-mortar experience has solidified the strength of their brand among the rest of Oklahoma’s vintage scene. By staying true to their curated aesthetic and unwavering commitment to quality and presentation, they have successfully created a physical manifestation of their partnership resulting in an immersive retail store located in the heart of the Plaza District.

“Justice managed a thrift store for 15 years, and I worked there for a few years, and then moved more into art installation, working with Factory Obscura for about 10 years now.” Black says. “That is our foundational contribution to the brand. He does most of the sourcing and running the shop full-time, I contribute the art and installation element, and we work together on the vision and the aesthetic.”

“We always talked about having a store when we were teenagers.” says Smithers. “This has been a dream since we were kids. Don’t ask how long ago; it was early days in the Plaza, whenever Bad Granny’s [Bazaar] had just opened. We had always talked about how it would be fun to have a vintage shop, and then if we ever did, we would open it in the Plaza District because this is where the cool people are. It just felt natural whenever the opportunity presented itself.” After being a pop-up concept for almost five years, that dream became a reality in 2024, and they recently moved into a larger retail space across the street from award-winning restaurant Bar Sen.

“People think we’re twins, so we just leaned into that lore.” –Justice Smithers

Another draw to this location was the variety of vintage sellers who have found success in the retail and dining hotspot. “The other vintage shops around us have their own point of view. We each have our own niche. We've always said this—the items have to find their person, and so there’s really no competition in that.” says Black. “I really believe that you should look at it with the outlook of abundance rather than scarcity, and that if you’re doing something authentic, it cannot be emulated.”

Another piece of their business model that sets them apart is the way they exude luxury in every detail. Upon being greeted when you enter Twinhaus, Smithers is eager to provide recommendations and become your one-on-one personal shopper. “Having that connection with people is important. I think people are wanting that and craving it, which is something that we offer. Going back to ‘accessible luxury,’ that is in what we offer as far as merchandise, but also in the experience.”

The word luxury often sounds intimidating, especially in retail spaces, but the definition’s intent is supposed to be centered around ease and comfortability. Twinhaus serves as a space to access luxury in all of its forms. “It’s an accessible boutique experience, an accessible resale experience, and an accessible art installation experience.” Smithers explains. “We have like the $30 thing on the rack, but we also have like $1,200 gowns, so you have the full gamut.”

A frequently asked question they receive is where they source their merchandise—and if you have visited their store, you understand why. Smithers has built rapport in the resale community throughout his career, and it is evident now that they have their own curated brand. “We have wholesalers from out of state, because a lot of the stuff that we want to carry is harder to come by here. It’s not as readily available, so we have some connections where they’ll bring us the merchandise and let us be the first in line for curation.”

Black praised Smithers’ ability to source and curate their selection, explaining that, “We really started with primary local sourcing, thrifting—and we still do that, but Justice primarily is the sourcing engine. Since starting, we really had a lot of people come to us, which has been great. We are probably moving more in that direction of personal buys and connections out of state.”

“People keep [things] in their collections until they want it to go somewhere that feels safe and that feels appreciative.”

“We look at it like rehoming the things. Adopting the things. We’re fostering.” Black laughs. “We feel that way about how special these things are. By giving them a second home and a second life, you’re letting these items continue to live their life. I think people who have purchased these things and kept them for so many decades appreciate that about us and feel comfortable then selling to us.”

Their ability to connect with collectors stems from their relationship with their grandmother. “She just always had impeccable taste. She would take us into thrift stores and I just vividly remember her being like, ‘I’m gonna show you how to find what looks expensive.’ She could find the thing on the rack that had French seams or was made from natural fiber. She could just pick it out. We get our taste from her. Aesthetics and curation are so important. Presentation is so important.” 

Growing up in Oklahoma City, it is also important for them to ensure that these types of experiences and items are more accessible to the local market. Black reiterated their goal of widening the lens of what Oklahoma City’s creative capacity can be: “We want to offer it locally first. We want that small business, brick-and-mortar boutique experience. We know that we want to be in that environment, and we want to offer that to the city.”

Visit their store in Oklahoma City located at 1609 N. Blackwelder Ave. in the Plaza District, and follow them on Instagram @twin_haus and individually @justicesmithers and @bambierae.