Circle of friends…
I have collected vintage for years and years. I have always loved vintage. I began by buying pieces for me to wear. That soon became an obsession and I became a "serious" collector. I was acquiring pieces based on their collectability and not necessarily because they were my size or fit. Soon my friends started asking to borrow pieces, and then to find pieces for them. That led to becoming a bit of an unofficial "source" for finding items, and my friends started to call. By this time, I had a bit of a network of dealers and collectors I could buy from and had a circle of clients already. So I decided to make it official and the Shrimpton Couture was born.
I am always looking to expand the shop and make it better. I just finished a complete overhaul of the “Shop by Size” section in the shop. It’s all based on how I actually measure the clothing and hopefully it helps girls to find what fits in an easier way. The “Look Book” is going to expand and a new guest editorial section will debut soon! Of course, my daily mission is to bring my clients the best vintage out there!
Get them before they are hot…
The reworked vintage section of the shop is fairly new. I knew the designer of RSVP and had seen the reworked pieces she was doing for herself. I asked her to do some pieces for me. I also was a fan of The Glamourai and saw the necklaces she was designing as DIY projects on her blog. I asked her to do some for the shop as well, and was delighted when she agreed! She has a huge fan base and her pieces tend to be snapped up as quickly as she can make them!
So now, I had a clothing line and a jewelry line! Next came Louise Black who emailed me after Courtney Love told her to get in touch. When I saw what she was doing with antique textiles I had to add her to the mix. Her take is completely different that Kelly's of The Glamourai and they balance each other out well. Louise is a contestant in Project Runway Season 6 so I was very pleased to have her at the shop prior to her big national debut!
After those three came Reverie NYC, Norwegian Wood, Laine & Re:couture. Reverie NYC is a jewelry line out of NYC and the designer creates pieces that mix bits and pieces from several eras. Sometimes a piece can have 4 or 5 eras all mixed in to create something new!
Angie is the designer behind Norwegian Wood and already runs a wildly successful Etsy shop. She has had lots of attention paid to her signature fringe necklaces and body harnesses. Though she normally works with new textiles to make her creations the pieces she has designed for me all incorporate vintage elements. They are one of a kind and absolutely stunning! Angie is another designer who will soon be in the national spotlight - she has a capsule collection at Top Shop in September!
Then there is Laine, a fine jewelry line that is higher end but exquisite. Courtney Laine takes real gemstones and combines them with antique lockets, pendants and buckles to create beautiful pieces. Each is made entirely by hand and they are just incredible.
Last but certainly not least is re:couture, a second clothing line that reworks vintage pieces. Where the RSVP line tends to focus on the Edwardian & Flapper eras, mixed with their own original designs, re:couture restores & reworks dresses from the 50s-70s primarily.
I love the idea of taking vintage remnants and pieces that can no longer be used or worn and creating something new out of them. All of the designer in the shop are extremely respectful of vintage, and work with damaged pieces to give them new life! With conserving and recycling becoming more and more important in society, extending the life of garments is a great way to do your part.
Moving on with someone new…
This is always my least favorite question. I love all the designers and eras so much I feel like I am cheating on the others if I name names. I do tend to be a bit focused on a designer. Someone will come onto my radar, I will fall in love with a piece, and then I am off collecting them whenever I can. When I feel like I have a good representation of their work, I might move onto someone else, but they will always be there in the back of my mind. Because I buy for clients primary these days I try to blend in my preferences with what I think is on "trend," and what my girls want.
Talking trends…
I loved that one-shoulder pieces and jumpsuits where hot all summer. I don’t think these will stay as strong moving forward as both were a bit overdone (didn't you guys get tired of seeing them everywhere?) Shows like Mad Men are really influencing what people are buying lately. The whole fitted 40s/ 50s silhouette is a really strong trend right now and the full skirted 50s dresses are also pretty hot!
It seems that even the WORST looks are coming back and people are doing them well. Right now that eighties influence is really showing up. At first glance you might be tempted to say "NO," but then you see how Balmain took those big shoulders and tweaked them and they worked! Or, how independent young designers are taking the leggings look from the eighties and basically making it into art worn on the leg. I think that if you are a girl of style you need to never say never, but rather say how can I twist that so people think I am a girl-genius?
One of a kind…
I have to say that one of the most fabulous pieces I have ever come across was a 1972 Thea Porter coat. I am pretty sure it is the only one of its kind, although a very close sister of it was photographed and appeared in Vogue. I placed it with the Boston Museum of Arts where it is now a part of its permanent collection.
Canadian hot spots…
I hope that one day [when people come to Canada they] will be coming to see me! Seriously though, there are a ton of terrific spots in Toronto. Queen West has a multitude of reputable and fabulous dealers. The Yorkville area has some of the more upscale shops, and you cannot go wrong by hitting The St. Lawrence Market on a weekend. It’s in a fabulous neighborhood and has some of the best food vendors in the city too!
***We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article. For more information on Cherie and her store and services please visit www.shrimptoncouture.com.
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