Recycled and Refashioned Spell STYLE!

What I really, really, really like about Vintage clothing is not just the gorgeous fabrics and colours! What I love is its STYLE! But wearing vintage clothing on their own doesn't necessarily equate with being stylish, that comes from knowing how to wear it and how to use it ... in a contemporary society. Unless one is attending a era specific themed event then dressing strictly according to styles in the 50's and 60's today may not work as well... today we have different bodies, different tastes and dare I say it we might be facing different climatic conditions! On the weekend I ventured to the Craft and Antique and Collector's Fair to meet and see the work of Jody Pearl, dynamo behind ReInvent. She is taking recycled clothing and upstyling them, giving them a contemporary look or taking a contemporary garment and giving it a vintage look! Her beautiful dusty pink jacket with cherubs and lace is just beautiful and very 40's. Not everyone can find the perfect true blue vintage garment in their size and colour to highlight their body and shape. But we can take what's available in the op shop arena and convert into into something reminiscent of the style from the past. In November the Craft and Antique and Collector's Fair will be holding a Recycled Fashion Competition in two categories - wearable garment and wearable accessory. I have been talking with a host of vintage and retro inspired very creative refashionistas in Perth and I am sure they will all give this competition a run for its money - as well as teach a few of us along the way. Vintage Vixens and Vamps will be hosting some of these creative ladies at our event on 23 May with further vintage refashioning platforms in the pipeline. May vintage and retro fashion continue to play its part in imbueing Perth with style !

What Have Chooks Got to do with Vintage?

Miss Betties Vintage and Retro stall of course. Miss Bettie hails from Deborah Varga's chicken - BettieBird - who was the best chook and friend a gal could have hoped for! She is dearly departed these days - gone but not forgotten! Deb says she was a real character who would probably be rather pleased about the mini-empire built in her legacy.

The story behind the business begins with Deb as a quilter 20 years ago and in the process she fell in love with making aprons. She uses only the best quality 100% cotton vintage or American cotton fabric. All of her aprons are one-off originals, designed and made by her. She does special orders including children's aprons and makes her aprons 'Queen-sized' so they fit the ladies and the lads who like a few frills and ruffles in the kitchen! Her most popular apron is her 'cocktail' apron - which suits the more bedroom / burlesque orientated cook ..... entertainning! At Vintage Vixens and Vamps, Miss Betties will primarily have retro fashion items Deb have collected over a 25 year period and include clothing, bags & jewellery together with fabric, buttons and patterns for the 'do-it-yourself' fashionista! I have seen Deb's stall in action, be prepared to watch it whittle down very quickly!

Vintage Japanese

With all the focus on designers vintaging from Paris, London, Milan and New York, some of the influences from other cultures can slip into the background. Today I explored Japanese textiles .... literally in the backyard! I had the good fortune to catch up with Textile Artist Wendy Lugg yesterday and she put me on to Japon, located in the alleyway behind the former Rose Hotel in North Fremantle. Whilst there I had a lovely chat with Becky. She and husband Keith moved their business into their warehouse and have never looked back. And right now they have a sale on! I took these photos of the baskets and barrels of recycled kimonos all going out for $5 each! And then there are the rolls of kimono fabrics, 50% off, the absolutely gorgeous obi's (have I spelt it correctly?) and some of the most delicate feminine clutch type purses I have ever laid my hands on, they were truly beautiful to hold. So if you are into old style Japanese to wear, textiles to fashion new garments from or upfashion old garments, or older textiles with which to decorate your home, this is the place to go. Auctions in Japan are invite only and Becky is often the only Westerner there, accompanied by her Japanese speaking assistant. So, if like me, you have travelled along Stirling Highway and seen the Japon sign many times, but never ventured in, then I recommend that you do ... and leave lots of time for textile browsing not to mention the possibility of purchasing a more up market kimono to give that classy touch to lounging around your home. Gosh I wish I looked like Nigella Lawson.

New York Couture

'Alligators, Old Mink & New Money' - One Woman's Adventures in Vintage Clothing. That's the title of a fabulous book I am currently reading, the author of which has Hooti Couture in Brooklyn, New York. Maureen has it on her 'must visit' list and will be there in just over a week!

An ex model, Alison Houtte encapsulates 'vintage' "as using older pieces to help create a fresh, one of a kind style, with almost no rules as to how that’s achieved. It means looking at what designers are putting on their runways and fashion editors are putting on their magazine pages, then finding the real thing, merchandise from the twenties to early eighties that has inspired the latest hot looks, as well as pieces that compliment them. It means introducing customers to designers – dead and alive – whose signatures they may never have seen before. Finally, vintage style, is as much about wardrobe accents as it is about ‘investment’ pieces like a Chanel suit or Burberry trench. ... Dressing with vintage is the ultimate ‘mix and match’ between the twenties and twenty first century of fashion, inspired by a hodgepodge of labels that draw as much from pop culture as from a specific decade or designer. Vintage is about surprise and fun and affordability, meeting individual everyday style needs with pieces from the past."

I love that description! This comes from woman born in '60 who will wear leopard print leggins with a close knit jumper and a leopard print scarf tied around her neck! Maybe Perth isn't at that point yet, but how exciting is it to introduce others to the intrigue of using a vintage piece to create a small piece of individual style, with maybe bold one of a kind style down the track? I hear the 80's are in, big, androgynous, assymetric, I remember my red Grace Jones t-shirt, the look of Annie Lennox and of course my favourite - Stuart Membery. And then there was Laura Ashley, not my style but the fabrics were gorgeous to touch, sew and look at.

If you haven't read the book or visited the website, then do, the photographs are truly inspirational. I rue the fact that I don't live in a place overflowing with Vintage fashion. But I also know we have some amazing creativity in this town that is transforming what is available into something reminiscent of style from the past. I'm looking forward to it all coming together at our first Vintage Vixens and Vamps event and blossoming out in the months following. My mind is already busy what we will bring together for Vintage Vixens and Vamps #2 .... July 2010.

New Dress a Day Link

Had a fantastic conversation with Lara of Smith and Bird this morning. Talked textiles, refashioning, Swaperama, craft books, yarn bombing, the Mandurah Stretch Festival and Etsy. But the best thing to come out of our chit chat was the link Lara sent me http://newdressaday.wordpress.com/about/ Go to it. On the site you will find a woman who has committed to not buying new clothes for a whole year and at the same time wishes to get her creative juices flowing. She has set herself a budget of $1 a day with which to buy one used item of clothing which she then refashions. I started to look at all the photos but realised I could sit there all day and had to drag myself away. But I have signed up to get the daily posts. Very inspiring, now instead of continually being attracted to anything from the 80's in op shops I'm off to look for big and blousey! Making friends again with my Pfaff....