'I went from side hustle to hosting celebrities at my shop'

Turning a side hustle into a thriving business that attracts big name celebrities like Selena Gomez and Post Malone might feel like a dream, but Emma Rogue has proven it’s possible.

She now runs two vintage clothing stores in Manhattan, has released her own clothing and make-up ranges as well as dabbling in music. Not to mention having grown a huge social media following over the last five years, with many followers from the UK and all around the world, which has helped drive much of her success.

BBC Bitesize asked the 30-year-old how her brand blending retail with content creation and community engagement, came about.

Where did Rogue come from?

After Emma wore a novelty t-shirt with the word 'Rogue' written in the famous Vogue font to work one day at a music agency, her boss at the time suggested she call herself Emma Rogue, and it's stuck ever since.

How did you get into selling vintage clothing?

Emma has been a self-confessed thrifter her whole life - growing up in New Jersey, she’d often go shopping with her mum as a child.

In 2018, after graduating college, Emma began selling clothing items on resale app Depop, after a friend had suggested it to her, and she enjoyed instant success; “My first item sold within 45 minutes. I had people fighting over it, and I thought, wow, this is crazy.”, Emma recalls. “It started as a side hustle, but it turned out I had a really good eye for curating items and finding what people liked. So, I ran with it.”

How did you turn a hobby into a business and grow the brand?

After Emma’s sourcing and selling on the app continued to prove popular with customers, she was approached by Depop and Emma began working for them part time as an Account Manager while continuing with her own sales.

However, she wasn’t afraid to make a big decision when it came to building her vision; “I was selling at flea markets, I started doing street fairs all over Manhattan and Brooklyn, and then the pandemic came around, and Depop asked me to go full time with them.”

But despite the job offer, Emma said thank you but no thank you and instead decided to focus even more on her own selling. It was at this point she joined TikTok. "It was a very serendipitous moment, because everyone was shopping online [due to the pandemic], and one of my first videos went viral overnight.”

Emma’s social media following continued to grow and she was approached by friends who owned clothing stores to sell her items at her own pop ups and by the time Emma had done the fourth one, she felt ready to open her own store.

Using the following she’d grown on TikTok to promote its launch, Emma hasn’t looked back; “We had 2000 RSVPs and a line out the door all day,” she says. “Now here we are. Four years later, I have two locations, we've done collaborations with some incredible brands, and much more is to come. It's been awesome.”

Emma remains loyal to the app, continuing to sell intentionally on Depop today.

Who have been the biggest celebrities in your shop?

Emma’s success with Rogue has gained the attention of various celebrities and influencers. Her strong social media presence, unique shop and clothing items attract many high-profile clients; “Post Malone was one of the few people I've been really star struck by, and he was so kind and bought all the T-shirts we curated for him. So that was a cool moment for sure, ” she explains.

“Benny Blanco came by, then the next week he came back and brought Selena Gomez, her little sister and Selena's mum. They were just shopping like normal, that was awesome.”

Then in early September 2025, and with only 30 minutes notice, Emma welcomed one of the biggest streamers in the world, IShowSpeed, to her shop. It was huge for Rogue’s visibility and over 300 people were outside, trying to get a glimpse of their favourite star; “It was an awesome moment and we take a lot of pride in the fact that, there's something for everyone at the store, whether you are Selena Gomez or Speed.”

Emma’s thrifting tips

• The early bird catches the worm - go thrifting early in the day when the best items will be available
• Have a schedule of when shops or markets restock or offer discounts so you have the first pickings
• Go through every single rail, no matter how tedious, that's when you find misplaced or buried items
• Go with a friend to get through in half the time and make sure you don’t miss any gems
• If shopping for yourself and your personal style, screenshot fave outfits from Pinterest or Instagram and try find pieces that match those

Where does your creativity come from for your business?

Emma specialises in 90s and Y2k pop culture which provides the spark for much of her creativity; “The way I approach decorating my shop and my apartment, a lot of it has to do with bringing out my inner child,” she says.

From vintage 90s posters to cuddly toys and a striking yellow accent – Emma’s Rogue shops have a unique, creative and distinctive feel to them; “As a kid growing up, I was very studious. I was always focused on getting straight As, getting into college – I went to an Academy for health and medical sciences,” she says. “So, I didn't really give myself any time to have fun or just be silly. I think now that I'm an adult, I can embrace that fully and be the kid I really wanted to be when I was younger.”

What challenges have you faced?

Opening a shop in one of the biggest cities in the world comes with many challenges but there’s one which is a constant issue; “Theft is definitely a sad, disappointing thing that happens, especially to small businesses but I guess we're also in downtown New York, so it's bound to happen.”

To help combat items being stolen, she has taken various steps including the introduction of a buzzer system on the door and changing the shop layout to minimise blind spots.

Due to her large social media following, people often visit the shop expecting to feature in Rogue’s fit check videos. Guests talk through their outfit, explaining how much each item costs and where they acquired it from. But she explains, “Sometimes we don't have the camera out, or I'm not there. Expecting us to have the camera out 24/7 just isn’t realistic.”

When it comes to positives though, Emma feels that due to the shop’s popularity on social media, it has become a tourist destination for people from all around the world; “We'll have families coming from Germany, India, China, literally, as soon as they step off the plane. So that's a really cool thing.”

'It's a whole universe that we're building, slowly but surely'

This is just the start of a Rogue universe according to Emma. She wants to one day open a Rogue theme park as well as store locations in every major city starting with Tokyo, Japan.

Emma also hopes to help develop the next generation of creators with a Rogue academy, where she can help support young content creators. But that’s not all; “Rogue records too, having those kids be a part of that, if they're making music. It's a whole universe that we're building slowly but surely.”

This article was published in December 2025