THIS IS SERIES 5 WARDROBE CRISIS #SHARETHEPODCASTMIC - OUR GUESTS HOST THIS WEEK ARE OUR LISTENERS! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUBMITTED THEIR STORIES.
EPISODE 138 FOCUSES ON RESALE
Vintage and second-hand is in the news more than ever before. It's set to eclipse fast fashion within ten years. The designer re-commerce sector is booming. But as shopping pre-loved becomes more aspirational, are those who rely on thrifted clothes being licked out?
What’s not up for debate, however, is that the piles of discarded fashion and textiles keep growing. The excess is real. Where it ends up, who pays the price, what that price should be, what’s selling, what’s not, what should be ... in this week's episode we address all this and more as our listeners take a seat in the interviewee's chair.
FEATURING…
ALI DIBLEY ON THE PERSONALITY OF CLOTHES AND WHY RENTING VINTAGE IS DOUBLE SUSTAINABLE
Ali runs BELL STREET VINTAGE DRESS HIRE & CUSTOM BRIDAL in the Marrickville neighbourhood of Sydney. They say: “Imagine you had a fairy godmother. A fun, fabulous, fashionable fairy godmother who spent her life collecting beautiful things. Imagine she said ‘Why don't you rifle through my closet and borrow something?’ [Here'] you’ll find a treasure trove of vintage, handmade and secondhand clothing available to borrow for weddings, balls, graduations, costumes, red carpet events” and special occasions." Dibley trained as a fashion designer and started out making custom wedding dresses for her friends. Today, she says, any item of item of clothing you plan only to wear a few times - or once!- should be hired.
THINGS WE TALK ABOUT…
OSSIE CLARK & CELIA BIRTWELL were an iconic British design duo (and couple) in the late 1960s and early ‘70s. Clark, along with Biba, helped usher in the return of the bias-cut and the slinky silky silhouettes favoured in the ‘60s. Birtwell brought the whimsy, courtesy of her distinctive spriggy florals. She is still working as a textile designer and artist today. Clark was murdered by his ex-boyfriend, Diego Cogolato in 1996. Original pieces from his main line are rare and sell for big bucks today. Read about the duo’s seminal London runway shows in AnOther Magazine here.
STORIES & FABRIC FRIENDS Ali & Clare believe clothes can harbour stories and memories of wearers past, and that clothes can have their own personalities. What do you think?
CLEANING & RESTORING For washable fabrics that won’t fade/whites, Ali counsels soap flakes and sunlight, and calls on her mother’s country lawn for the toughest jobs. Clare forgot to mention that 1930s velvet comes up a treat with a dryclean. Drycleaning also kills mold and mildew. Some pieces just need a good airing. Never hand crepe in the sun. Befriend the padded hanger. Consider storing beaded pieces flat. Acid-free tissue is a must. Moth holes? Embroider over them or darn visibly for added personality, (Fashion Revolution co-founder) Orsola de Castro style.
“Stains disfigure clothes and home furnishings, and it is desirable to remove them, especially if the stains stiffen or corrode the fabric beneath them. However, the removal of stains can be hazardous to the fabric - and to the person attempting to get the stain off. To be successful, care and caution must be exercised… The older the stain, the harder it is to remove.” Via the Museum Conservation Institute at the Smithsonian. Want more? Ask Martha Stewart. Yes Clare bathed her antique wedding dress in moonlight. Did it work? She's not 100% on this one.
Julia Browne, vintage style
Julia Browne
JULIA BROWNE ON THE EVOLUTION OF OP SHOPPING AND THE POLITICS OF THRIFTING
Julia Browne is creative consultant and life-long op-shopper based in Melbourne via the UK. Through her platform Styleshifter, she blogs talks about and styles thrifted pieces and says: “I love discovering local independent designers and get a real buzz finding something incredible and unexpected in an Op Shop, or coming across something and going ‘That would look amazing used in this way.” She is also passionate about student designers, and in February 2021 launched a new creative venture, Melbourne Fashion Hub, to support local student designers. She says: “This creative body is the first of its kind to offer talented students and graduates an opportunity to connect with a broader audience. The program’s key objective is to unite creatives at all levels and stages of their fashion journey, giving students and graduates business basics to start a brand as well as real-world experience selling directly to the public in a supportive retail environment. The elite contributions include an emphasis on sustainability, ethical, and inclusive fashion of all kinds.” Go Julia!
THINGS WE TALK ABOUT…
The UK study Clare mentions in the intro was conducted by Censuswide for the North London Waste Authority Half of the millennials and Gen Zs surveyed said they’d bought second-hand, swapped or borrowed more in 2020 than the previous year. More here.
DAVID BYRNE is a music legend. In the ‘80s, he fronted Talking Heads. Here he is in a suit…
PINEAPPLE DANCE STUDIOS opened in Covent Garden, London in 1979. Founder Debbie Moore had a strong leotard game.
FAST FASHUN - the event Julia mentions was held as part of in collaboration with the artist Sebastian Berto. More here.
The shocking news piece about customers dumping rubbish at Vinnies over the holidays is here. Don’t miss our Development editor Nina Gbor’s take here.
MARY PORTAS “Queen of the Shops” opened her first Mary’s Living & Giving Shops for Save the Children in London in 2009. Portas is a British retail expert, former Harvey Nichs board member. In 2011, she was appointed by then-PM David Cameron to lead a review into the future of the UK high street.
“WE NEED TO GET BACK TO BUY LESS, WEAR MORE.” JULIA BROWNE, STYLESHIFTER
Liisa Jokinen photographed by Elina Simonen
LIISA JOKINEN ON THE ART OF STAYING CONNECTED AND TAKING VINTAGE ONLINE
Liisa Jokinen is an NYC-based street style photographer and vintage aficionado from Finland. Find her beautiful photographs at https://nyc-looks.com/ and https://hel-looks.com
Photo by Debbie Yard
She describes her new vintage search app as “like Google for vintage”. It makes second hand shopping easier, she says, “and, hopefully, will encourage more people to shop sustainably and choose used garments over the new ones.” Gem is now indexing over 30 million vintage and secondhand clothing items and accessories and is available worldwide in app stores as well as online - find the website here.
In New York? Here’s her vintage and thrift store map.
THINGS WE TALK ABOUT…
NEW YORK VINTAGE SCENE There are 268 vintage and thrift stores in NYC, says Liisa (evidence - see above). While COVID has rocked retail and many stores “It’s a kind of New York miracle.” A CURRENT AFFAIR is the greatest. We are not even coping. Shop here. AWOKE VINTAGE invites smaller sellers to sell inside their space. Good read: here’s a nice story on some of the neighbourhood’s other stores.
“FOR PEOPLE LIKE US, IF CLOTHES ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU, [GETTING DRESSED UP] IS LIKE AIR THAT YOU BREATHE. YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT IT. AT SOME POINT YOU JUST START MISSING IT. JUST WANT TO DO IT, EITHER YOU DO IT JUST FOR YOURSELF OR YOU SHARE IT ON INSTAGRAM.” LIISA JOKINEN ON THE URGE TO KEEP FASHIONING EVEN DURING COVID.
MARIMEKKO (pictured) is an iconic Finnish fashion and homewares brand known for its prints. Read about their sustainability here. Plans are afoot to sell their own vintage in store. Read about LEVI’S partnership with Ganni here. PATAGONIA of course has long been repairing their old stuff for customers. Here’s the news about ++.
FINNISH FASHION HISTORY
Traditional Finnish women’s clothing was much like that of its Nordic neighbours - smocks, skirts, cotton blouses, vests or bodices, jackets, aprons, and head scarves. Colorful embroidery was used for decoration, but it depended really much on the financial status of a person. Via nationalclothing.org
Today "Suomen Kansallispukuneuvosto" (National Costume Council of Finland) is responsible for researching, recording, documenting, educating, giving advice on, maintaining and developing the tradition of Finnish national clothing. More here.
Here’s a good overview of the fashion industry in the Soviet Union after WWII.
Today Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture in Helsinki is producing prodigious, directional new fashion talents that are grabbing the world’s attention. “Beyond the poppy prints of Marimekko, what is Finnish fashion really about in modern times? Get to know five up-and-coming designers who share insights on Finland's present and future…” read the rest here.
HELSINKI FASHION WEEK is one of the most exciting events for new sustainable fashion talent. Listen to its founder Evelyn Mora on Episode 52. Want more fabulous Finns? Here’s fashion educator Timo Rissanen was an early guest back on our second ever Episode. Ears here!
WHO ELSE LOVES THE COMFORT OF A WORN-IN HAND-ME-DOWN? Thanks for listening to Part 1. Part 2 drops next week. Love, Clare xx