French Affair

Fridays at the VA store are very much hit or miss. Sometimes we are rushed off our feet with post lunch, wine-fueled shoppers, and sometimes,(like today) it feels like everyone has fled the city for a long weekend in the country. So it was a welcome sight when into the empty shop, wafted a french boy in raybans, clutching a sketch book. His name is Azad, he makes art inspired by Giacometti and the street. This is one of his pictures, and he is having an exhibition with a major fashion label very soon.. we will keep you posted....

Blogger's Paradise

We love a good fashion blog here at VA, and we love it even more when we are the subject!
This week has seen a flurry of blogging activity in the VA HQ. First was the undisputed queen of the blogscene - Susie Bubble!



This is how it happened -
(phone rings)
Susie: Hi it's Susie Lau, I have a blog, I would love to come in and review the shop, you might of heard of it,it's called Style Bubble?
VA: OMG!! BLAH BLAH!! LOVE! BLAH!!

We never said we were cool....

We also had the super fashionable Verity Pemberton attend the VA party last week, who amoungst other things, blogs for the Temperley blog. Be sure to check it out, Verity covers all the important things in life, like Zine Sales, Connecticut flea markets and VA!


Verity's image of the flea market fom the Temperley blog.

Party Piece

Last Thursday Vintage Academe toasted the start of summer with fabulous party in our new store on Ledbury Road.
Notting Hill based fine jeweller, Lauren Adriana ,whose historically inspired pieces are the perfect accompaniment to a VA dress co-hosted the event.
Fashion press, designers, friends and Notting Hill locals gathered on the hottest evening of the year so far to drink Camitz Sparkling Vodka cocktails, nibble on Sobo brownies and chat fashion.
The drinks were strong, the flowers were beautiful (with thanks to the genius Cemal of the Notting Hill florists Phillo Flowers), and the crowd was very well dressed.
We would love to thank all our sponsors who made our goody bag so full of goodies - Retrouvius, Miller Harris, Camitz Vodka, Space NK, Jeeves Dry Cleaners, Total Wardrobe Care, Raoul’s Cafe Notting Hill, Sobo Cookies and Brownies, Michaeljohn Hair and Beauty, The Escape Spa at The Chelsea Club.

Read the review on Wonderland's Blog.


The first guest arrives.


Founder Clare attends to the finishing touches.





The clothes.



The jewellery.



The flowers.



The canapes!

Party People

Sir Paul Smith browsing through the VA rails with Lauren Adriana in VA's vintage Jean Muir gown.



Lotte Andersen and Verity Pemberton, Temperly Online.



Clare in vintage haute couture Balenciaga and Jessica in an early 1960s prom dress.



Emily and Henry from Wolf and Badger boutique, Ledbury Road.



Jo Gowans, writer for Libery online and Clare Bickford-Smith, Selfridges PR.



Kessy Thorley in vintage Mugler jacket, and Dan Bradman.



Mary Fellows, Turkish Vogue puts on her sunnies for the camera flash.



Julia Dee and Anne-Marie Pumfrey, Designer Alterations.

Party People 2

Fashion Designer Anna Popovich strikes a pose in her one of her own designs.



Celia Weimstock, fine jeweller and Nick Briggs from The Mayer Gallery.



Photographer Carole Latimer and the girls from West London magazine Matchbox.



The Christies Crew.



VA Founder Clare Nicholls and Toby Mott.



Clare and Sophie Cobbold, PR for Lulu Guinness.



Clare Rose, V&A.



Cocktail Girls!



Coco De Mer ladies steal the show.



Cocktails and shopping!



Kate Worthington,Timeout Magazine, Jessica Hannan, Clare Nicholls.

Bring in the Clowns

This week at the VA shop, we have a circus themed window. The centre piece is a beautiful 1970s Bill Gibb kaftan, with a design based on a clown suit.



It's also the season for Hydrangeas!

Wisteria Lane

Every day another lovely customer floats into our shop in Notting Hill. Today bought Carole, she a portrait photographer who has lived and worked in Hollywood, and owner of the beautiful Wisteria house two doors up from our shop. She planted the vine in the seventies and has watched over the years as the plant has grown and changed with Notting Hill.

Our Daughters' Daughters Will Adore Us.

Half of all 18 to 34-year-olds will not vote in the General Election on May 6.