With the recent closure of Lunacy Boutique, it comes as no surprise that the newest independent fashion venture in Cardiff is making its tentative first steps online instead of on the high street. I Heart Vintage is a second-hand clothing website, the brainchild of two local residents Sarah and Reena, whose love for vintage clothing motivates them to seek out individual finds for themselves and others.
Since I share a passion for vintage with the fashionable entrepreuners, I was keen to ask them a few questions about their venture:
Why did you decide to open an online shop?
R&S - We both love the high street and the key for us is mixing high street with vintage. We aren't top-to-toe in vintage all day everyday and we don't claim to be vintage experts. We just have a passion for fashion so wanted to share this through setting up I Heart Vintage. We were lucky to have the support and generosity of family and friends which allowed us to set up the online store around our full time jobs.
Would you ever think about branching out into the high-street?
R&S - We both work full time so at the moment that wouldn’t be an option for us but it’s not something we would rule out for the future. I think we would like to explore other opportunities the high street could offer such as working with stores who would like to add vintage to their range and would be interested in stocking a selection of clothing from I Heart Vintage.
What do you think about vintage in Cardiff?
R&S - We love the vintage scene in Cardiff and have enjoyed being a part of it as we have shopped many times at fairs such as Blind Lemon Vintage and Milgi's Northcote Lane Market. It's really exciting to experience the other side of it now, having become sellers particularly as the options for vintage shoppers in Cardiff grows. We've been able to raise our profile through the vintage networks in Cardiff by selling at fairs such as Make it Pretty and Milkwood Gallery's flea market. This has really helped us and it's been great to meet and get to know other vintage sellers.
In the near future we are looking to work with local talented designers whose products are inspired by vintage fashion and showcasing them on I heart vintage. We hope that this will help towards the already thriving vintage scene in Cardiff and play a part in promoting Welsh talent.
Where do you source your clothing from?
S – We source our stock from a combination of wholesalers, charity shops and private sellers. My Auntie Pearl gave us a good kick start by kindly donating all her beautiful clothes from the 60s and 70s. Shopping runs in the family! To begin with we’re customising quite simply perhaps by shortening, removing shoulder pads or adding buttons but learning to make clothes or change them dramatically is something I’ve always been keen to learn to do.
What sort of price range will the clothing be in?
S&R – Prices on our website for clothing start at £20 with accessories starting from under £10. We have chosen a great selection of items for the online store with the majority of dresses around £30-£40. At vintage fairs we’ll have a broader price range too.
Why Cardiff?
S&R – We both love Cardiff and live here so made sense to get the business well known and established here before taking on the rest of the world! ;o) Plus vintage is up-and-coming in Cardiff, so it’s great to be a part of it here and we’ve met lots of other great people here who are doing similar things especially jewellery makers who we would love to collaborate with in the near future.
What era of vintage is the clothing from?
S&R - For I Heart Vintage we define vintage as being 80s or before. At the moment we have a lot of 60s and 70s stock but we select items according to what catches our eye more than what era it’s from. If we love it and think other people will then we’ll go for it.
How would you describe your own style?
S – I have a quite diverse style and incredibly varied taste in clothing. I love the look of celebs like Carey Mulligan & Milla Jovovich. On the high street i love Urban Outfitters and Top Shop. My friend Flair always looks amazing although she says one of her style icons is my mum! My style and taste has constantly changed although and I’m a little bit less impetuous when buying things now. I’m constantly learning what goes together and what suits me personally.
R – I love Fearne Cotton, Alexa Chung and Kate Bosworth’s style so usually look to them for inspiration. I really like the way they mix their vintage pieces with high street clothes. I like their modern take on vintage. And even when they wear designer pieces you can usually count on Topshop and Urban Outfitters to come up with a great copy. And I am with Sarah on the love of these high street shops as they are my favourite!
................................
Hmm, good answers. I very much agree with Reena and Sarah that the vintage scene in Cardiff is burgeoning (just like the blogging scene!), and I love that they're both eager to promote Welsh designers.
I also love the clothes on their site, especially the 70's maxi-dress above. Pass me my (imaginary) fedora and bring on the new season please? I wonder if the couch and the furry cushion will get thrown into my purchase if I ask nicely??
I'm also liking this soft-looking dress (below), particularly for the nipped in waist and pussy-bow style neck.
There's plenty more on the website and prices are pretty reasonable too. You'll also be smug in the knowledge that no one else will be wearing the same item as you.
I have to say though, as much as I love the site, buying vintage online does have its cons. You miss out on feeling the quality of the item, of falling in love with the intricate detailing and incredible craftsmanship of a vintage piece.
Luckily, Sarah and Reena are still going to be selling at various markets, good news for us vintage-lover that still like to shop in the old-fashioned way.
You can go say hello to them and their lovely items at:
Make it Pretty at Chapter – Saturday 5th February
Blind Lemon Vintage Fair at City Hall – Sunday 6th February
Blind Lemon Vintage Fair in Swansea – Sunday 13th March
Fittingly, their also having an old-school launch party at 10 Feet Tall tomorrow night, featuring a clothes stall, a bespoke I Heart Vintage cocktail, CUPCAKES, a free prize draw, and Vinyl Vendetta DJing.
Let me know what you bought?
No comments:
Post a Comment