Columbus’ New Home for the Creatively Curious

By Monica Jones

What does it truly mean to embody a vibe? To vibe? It’s more than just a feeling; it’s an energy, an unspoken understanding, a connection, and the freedom that comes from truly being seen, accepted, and perfectly at ease in your surroundings. And nowhere in Columbus does that resonate more powerfully than at The Vibe on 6th. 

This isn’t just a shop; it’s a living, breathing embodiment of the creative freedom, community spirit, and the extraordinary resilience of its co-founder, Candice Tilson (formerly Candice Crooke). Her vibrant journey, marked by both triumphs and profound challenges, has culminated in a space where everyone is invited to find their rhythm, discover unique treasures, and become part of something truly special.

Candice’s story starts right here in Columbus, where a young Hardaway High graduate already knew her calling: blending fashion with the pulsating energy of the music industry. Her ambition quickly took her to Atlanta, where she plunged headfirst into the high-octane world of celebrity styling. Before even graduating college, she was working with giants like MTV and VH1, building an impressive resume which would eventually include styling for Missy Elliott, CeeLo Green, Ciara, and Ludacris to name a few.

“I knew that I wanted to do fashion … and I wanted to work within the music industry through fashion,” Candice recalls, reflecting on a career that saw her navigating everything from music videos to high-end luxury retail at Versace and Bally. This fast-paced world, while exhilarating, also taught her crucial lessons.

Candice’s path hasn’t been a straight shot. Her journey has been marked by a series of profound challenges which would test anyone’s resolve. After moving to Savannah, she launched her first mobile shop, a tie-dyed 1993 Bluebird Mini bus, along with her brick-and-mortar shop on Tybee Island. However, a life-altering paddleboard accident there left her in a wheelchair, forcing her to “relearn how to use my hands” and pivot from the jewelry making she was doing at the time. Then came Hurricane Matthew, which “totaled the bus, and the shop,” leaving her to salvage what she could. A fire at a later shop in Atlanta added to the string of unfortunate events. Each setback, however, became a catalyst for reinvention. As her father wisely advised, “Sometimes you have to reinvent yourself.”

After a brief return to Columbus where her mobile vintage business struggled to find its footing, Candice found herself back in Atlanta. She acquired her second bus – a 1995 International 3800, a retired Cobb County school bus – and she took a job with a prominent merch company, touring with bands and gaining invaluable insight into the multi-billion dollar concert merchandise industry. It was during this time she worked with artists like Taylor Swift, Post Malone, and Chris Stapleton. “Most people go to a concert and they don’t realize what all goes into that,” she explains. Working for a boss whose father pioneered wrestling merch and even sold for Elvis’s hologram tour, Candice deepened her understanding of “the culture” and the “hustle-and-bustle,” and even delved into costuming for film in Atlanta during this time—all passions that would eventually become the bedrock of The Vibe.

Then COVID hit, forcing a profound shift in perspective. “The world stopped. People were getting really sick,” Candice remembers. This global pause prompted her permanent return to  Columbus, a city that she felt “couldn’t give… what I needed” before. It was here, during this period of introspection, that Candice, a third generation vintage seller, realized her heritage was her path forward. This is when Ziggy Nicks Trading Company (named after her aesthetic, the “love child of Stevie Nicks and David Bowie”) evolved into Fountain City Mystic. “A mystic is a seeker,” she explains. “I’m like, oh, that’s so me.” This rebranding proved to be a game changer connecting her with “my people,” and leading to collaborations like The Full Moon Market.

But even back home, adversity struck again. A traumatic home invasion left Candice with PTSD, a diagnosis she’s transparent about. “It’s very violating,” she says, acknowledging the emotional toll beyond just lost items. Seeking therapy, she discovered not only healing from the immediate trauma but also from “years of other things that I needed to work through.” Her customers, the burgeoning “Vibe Tribe,” showed incredible support: “Everyone was like, no girl, take a break. You’re good, we’ll be here.” This outpouring of community love set the stage for her biggest leap yet.

The physical manifestation of Candice’s vision, The Vibe on 6th, blossomed from an organic partnership with Michael Woodham, a fellow mobile business owner and the owner of what was then Vintageville, where Candice was a vendor. “I’ve never thought about owning a business with somebody else,” she admits, describing herself as a “lone wolf.” But seeing Michael “manning the ship by himself,” Candice’s intuition sparked a new idea. “My intuition was that we should work together … on a bigger scale.” She bought out his partner, and The Vibe was born. 

Candice shares that working with Michael and finding their rhythm together has been a very healing process after all of her trials and tribulations. She is grateful for him and their partnership. The name itself, Candice reveals, had been “manifesting” for years. “I had this idea to call this place The Vibe. And he was like, dude, that’s it.” The synergy between Candice and Michael’s strengths fueled rapid expansion, including the acquisition of their neighbor’s space, creating over 13,000 square feet of ‘shopper-friendly atmosphere’.

The Vibe on 6th is designed to be a “third space,” something Candice longed for in Columbus after traveling to major cities and living in the UK. “It’s not a bar, it’s not a coffee shop. It’s our fun funky retro lounge, and a safe space to just come and hang out.” It’s Columbus’s answer to Atlanta’s Little Five Points, offering an “alternative weird funky cool spot in town” without the traffic. Beyond just retail, the expanded shop now embraces a buy, sell, trade business model, adding another dynamic layer to its appeal. With over 100 parking spots, it’s easily accessible – a place to “get the vibe of Atlanta here but without having to fight for parking.”

Central to The Vibe’s ethos is its commitment to mental wellness. Candice, who has personally found relief from anxiety and PTSD symptoms through legal THC and CBD products, made them a core offering. “It’s not just a, oh, this is a cool thing… it’s a lifestyle for me,” she passionately says. “The THC drinks, in particular, have become a massive seller for us. We are one of the only stores in town, outside of smoke shops, licensed to sell these products, especially since liquor stores can no longer do so.” The shop also offers mushroom-based caffeine and plant-based energy drinks, encouraging a healthier lifestyle that she herself embraced. It’s a space where customers can find “nature’s antidepressant” and “nature’s Adderall,” or simply “sit and drink your THC drink and just veg out for a minute, get away from the world.”

This commitment to fostering creativity extends to offering “micro real estate” for small businesses and hosting markets. It’s truly a haven for the “Vibe Tribe” – a diverse clientele ranging from “a 12-year-old kid to a 70-year-old woman” and a proud space for the LGBTQ community, already planning future drag shows. The sentiment is perfectly captured by Matt, a regular customer and former rock star himself: “It’s a great place… There’s something for everybody, really.” 

For Candice, a truly significant moment unfolded when The Vibe played a pivotal role in costuming the Amanda Seyfried movie that was recently filmed in town, The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shed. Candice got to work in tandem with the costume designer, with The Vibe providing amazing vintage pieces for pivotal scenes. “We were quoted by the costume designer as saving the movie,” Candice shares. “Supposedly they were dead in the water on a very specific scene for one of the main characters and they were able to dress his entire character from The Vibe. It was a very cool moment.” 

The Vibe on 6th is more than a business; it’s a living, breathing tribute to Candice’s resilience, vision, and her profound belief in community. “You can find boots here. You can find clothing here. You can find yourself here,” Candice says. As she aptly puts it, if you build it, “our people will come.” And they have.

You can experience The Vibe on 6th for yourself at 1301 6th Avenue (between downtown and midtown). Find their current hours and event schedule, and get a peek at their ever-changing inventory by following them on social media: @thevibeon6th on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.