Phoebe Horswell is pleased to go retro.
‘I want everyone to have a piece of Chanel’ says Kristina De Vere. ‘Krissy Chanel’, as she is known in the business, has been trading in vintage clothes and accessories for 35 years. On Sunday 16th February she was at her stall in the Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair, insisting that ‘I have the best pieces around, but I also have the best deals.’
It would be hard to deny Krissy’s claims, or to verify them. The first floor of Old Finsbury Town Hall was crammed with ties and earrings, fur shawls and ladies’ leather gloves, Versace and Westwood – every hallway and every corner given over to stockists of vintage clothing, jewellery, hats and eyewear.
To those unfamiliar with vintage, the range of goods on offer is really striking. Jewellery descended from haute couture houses turns long trestle tables into fountains of glittering opulence. Vintage Burberry stands alongside modern Michael Kors. Signature pieces are not hard to come by.
But there’s also a whiff of mustiness in the air. Moth-eaten clothes, some more than a hundred years old, some clearly only a couple of years old, adorn the rails that line the rooms.
Young and old circle the stalls, swooping down on next week’s party outfit. Others are professionals hoping to expand their repertoire. ‘I love finding inspiration in old relics’, said South London fashion buyer Paul Clarkson. Stallholder Van Der Brit confirmed that ‘pieces which are copies of these’ often turn up ‘in Top Shop or Miss Selfridge.’
Most of the stallholders are women – old-hats in the vintage scene, who greet their customers with a friendly smile, or sit on their stools and resign themselves to a slow day’s takings. Meanwhile an elderly gentleman in flannel shirt and corduroy trousers stood with quiet pride behind a modest display of leather-strapped wristwatches, some dating as far back as 1900.
‘Krissy Chanel’ was adamant that her prices are reasonable. To the untrained ear £700 for a second hand quilted black Chanel handbag sounds a lot. But it’s only a quarter of the price of a new one.
Similarly, Sharon, aka Auntie Aviator, believes that her vintage spectacle frames are better value than new ones. ‘Styles inspired by the 1940s, 50s and 60s are in abundance in designer opticians,’ she observed. ‘But you can have the real thing. My frames are authentic and affordable, they were made locally and they were made to last. The quality is better than anything you can buy today.’
The Vintage Fair boasts a tea-room with echoes of 1920s speakeasies. Or you can have your nails done in classic red lacquer…..or neon leopard-print.
Even bad taste gets better when it’s vintage!
The Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair re-opens on March 23rd, May 11th, June 22nd, Sep 14th, Oct 19th and Nov 24th of this year. Old Finsbury Town Hall is on Roseberry Avenue, London EC1, about five minutes’ walk from Angel tube station. Further details at: www.clerkenwellvintagefashionfair.co.uk