FARGO — Yann Niteka has spent much of his adult life as an independent marketing jack-of-all-trades.

The 29-year-old made his mark creating music videos, album covers and promotional art for events.

But he’s come to realize that he’s found the perfect fit for the artist and salesman in him.

Vintage clothing.

Niteka owns Tastee Vintage, which operates online, at pop-up events, and most recently, as a shop-within-a-shop at

701 Kickz

, a high-end sneaker and collectibles store next to North Dakota State University.

“I’ve always loved clothing, and I’ve always loved thrifting,” he said Tuesday, Feb. 11, taking a break from packing and shipping out orders. “It was affordable. I could buy the stuff.”

Racks of Tastee Vintage merchandise stand next to a timeworn green couch in 701 Kickz.

T-shirts, service station and racing jackets, macrame sweaters, shirts and jeans – take up a quarter of the shop at 1414 12th Ave. N., surrounded by displays of collectible sneakers, caps, and other items.

“Vintage has a very unique community of people. People that just love clothes. You have something in common instantly. You can kind of tell someone is into it by the way they dress,” Niteka said. “It’s fun. The thrill of the hunt. It really is a culture, vintage clothing.”

People don’t care if you wear an item and then sell it, Niteka said, giving it a raw quality, which he finds freeing. And it doesn’t hurt that he can collect, while still earning a living.

“If I find something I like, it’s probably going into my closet first,” Niteka said.

Allen Peyerl and Jordan Anderson are the owners of 701 Kickz.

Niteka met Peyerl at a pop-up sales event in Fargo-Moorhead, where they talked about having Niteka set up in some of 701 Kickz’s extra Bison Block space.

Anderson said the collaboration has been, in a word, “awesome.”

“It’s great seeing him every day. He’s got a lot of great energy,” Anderson said.

The market demographics for Tastee Vintage and 701 Kickz “are super similar,” Anderson said. “Shoes and vintage items go really well together. … It’s like an all-in-one stop.”

Niteka agrees the arrangement has prospered.

“We do events together. We do our marketing together. We strategize together. We’re good friends,” Niteka said.

Niteka started his American life at age 3, arriving with his family in Fargo in 1998 from Africa as refugees. He graduated from West Fargo High School, and then earned a marketing degree from North Dakota State University.

After college, he did event planning for rap shows in Minneapolis, video production and consulting.

“I just hustled. I just worked on my art,” Niteka said. “I was just kind of doing me. I kept my degree in my pocket. I just worked on my skills.”

After a couple of years, he moved to Tampa, Fla., working as a consultant for clients around the U.S.

Niteka started Tastee Vintage three years ago, when he advertised some extra clothes taking up space in his closet for sale on Snapchat.

“And I was amazed how fast they sold,” Niteka said.

Over time, he realized that sales for the then Florida-based Tastee Vintage had an unusual pattern.

“It was crazy. … The majority of my customers were back home (in the Midwest), like 80% of my customers,” Niteka said.

A year and a half ago, he was working on a marketing contract for a Minneapolis firm, when he decided to take a trip to Fargo to see his family.

“I was truly enjoying being back among my Midwest people. I moved back by accident. I came for two weeks and I never really left,” he said. “I didn’t plan on moving back. … It felt really healing to be here, so I just stayed.”

The last six months have seen a lot of growth with Tastee Vintage, he said.

The shop was part of a fashion show in November.

“It was really cool. It was a packed house. I am really looking forward to doing the next one,” Niteka said.

And there have been pop-up sales. The last one was a vintage sale and flea market in early February at Fargo’s Ivy and Rose Warehouse.

Niteka’s now mulling his next steps in retail and marketing.

“I think as I get older, I will move into furniture, cool furniture,” he mused.

But for now, Tastee Vintage’s focus is on the art of textiles, the people he meets, and the friends he makes.

“It’s way more than fiscal for me; it’s very social. It’s emotional. It’s so much deeper than clothes,” Niteka said. “But the clothes are awesome.”