- THE VINTAGE ACADEME -

Supermarket Sarah goes LIVE!!!

2010-08-31T15:20:00.004+01:00

VA's wall on Supermarketsarah.com has gone live!... Click here to shop now!

Jess and Sarah setting up the wall.

VA's Jess attemping to model the clothes..

CAMP GOODWOOD

2010-08-19T17:14:00.007+01:00

Sorry for the late review, we have been busy all week buying for Autumn..
Here are a few highlights from Vintage at Goodwood, Jess from VA went on friday with fashion photographer Alistair Guy.. It was very wet, but ALOT of fun.. Thank you Alistair!

Model Army

2010-08-11T16:32:00.002+01:00

Last weekend we did a shoot in the shop using the VA collection with Icelandic fashion photographer Saga Sig . We accessorised the vintage with bespoke head peices designed by Tomi Hiro, we loved his crowns and feather headresses so much we are now stocking them at 125 Presents.
Here are some behind the scenes pictures, keep an eye on the site for the finished shoot...

Well Red...

2010-08-04T14:03:00.005+01:00

This website, Wonderbk.com is hilarious...
It sells 'books by the foot', you order from a colour palette so you can have an aesthetically pleasing bookshelf, that compliments your wallpaper without ever having to have read a book in your life!

Sam's Car

2010-08-01T13:55:00.004+01:00

Just found these from the party..ha!

tomorrow!!!

2010-07-31T13:23:00.003+01:00

Come to the wrap party for the Sketchbook magazine pop-up studio, and see our lovely wall we have made with Supermarket Sarah...

6-9pm Kingly Court Carnaby Street

Supermarket VA

2010-07-29T19:59:00.006+01:00

This coming Sunday VA are collaberating with SUPERMARKET SARAH to create a beautiful wall at SKETCHBOOK magzine's interactive exhibition at Carnaby Street's Kingly Court. Our wall is on display from 6 - 9pm at the Sketchbook's venue,there will live photoshoots, art, and bands. Please come along! It's going to be wonderful. Everything on the wall is for sale, and will go live on SUPERMARKET SARAH's amazing site very soon....

And The Neighbourhood Watched...

2010-07-27T17:40:00.037+01:00

Our Summer of Love Party...

Clare Nicholls welcomes guest Michael Hoppen, still wearing her neglige...

The Bench shot

VA Founder (and birthday girl!) Clare Nicholls with Bruno Lial

Lovely Lauren

Hash Cakes..

Retrovius boys - a VA party staple

Birthday girl

Why Neighbourhood Watch called and left a very polite message....

We All Had a Wonderful Time

2010-07-23T13:25:00.003+01:00

Masked parties, Savage parties, Victorian parties, Greek parties, Wild West parties, Russian parties, Circus parties, parties where one had to dress as somebody else, almost naked parties in St John’s wood, parties in flats and studios and houses and ships and hotels and night clubs, in windmills and swimming-baths, tea parties at school where one ate muffins and meringues and tinned crab, parties at Oxford where one drank brown sherry and smoked Turkish cigarettes, dull dances in London and comic dances in Scotland and disgusting dances in Paris – all that succession and repetition of massed humanity … Those vile bodies …

SUMMER OF LOVE

2010-07-22T14:35:00.002+01:00

Don't Rain on my Parade

WORD UP

2010-07-16T16:47:00.002+01:00

Last night we left Notting Hill and went to Shoreditch to The Tatty Devine and Supermarket Sarah party... We are now desperate for a set designer who can make a giant 'V' and 'A' for us please...

Crowning Glory

2010-07-06T15:16:00.003+01:00

Can't concerntrate today, so very distracted.. Keep thinking about having a beautiful crown like one of these!

First Wednesdays

2010-07-06T13:20:00.007+01:00

Tomorrow evening from 6- 9pm, VA are taking part in the Notting Hill based community project; First Wednesdays. Galleries, boutiques and restaurants in the area open there doors later than usual to launch new collections, projects and offer discounts. We were a little late joining the proceedings so havn't got anything offical to launch, but will have some prosecco, 15% off everything instore and a Prince soundtrack... so please drop by!

Flower Power

2010-07-02T15:22:00.004+01:00

The peonies just expelled it's petals all over the shop. It was very poetic.

Kisses and Knickers

2010-07-01T13:44:00.004+01:00

Last night VA went to east London’s most glamorous knicker shop - Bordello, for kisses, poetry and cocktails…

Lana Citron, writer of the salaciously sweet book “A Compendium of Kisses” was joined by wordsmith Salena Godden and cult muse (of Westwood)turned writer, Sara Stockbridge for a poetry reading.

Here is the beautiful Cecilia, who we first met at the V&A’s preview of the Grace Kelly exhibition, we met by mutual appriciation of each others dresses..

She makes animal masks that sell in Coco Der Mer, collects taxidermy and likes to dress like a cat.
Bordello
55 Great Eastern Street London EC2 3HP

Tale of Two Cities (Manhattan and Brooklyn)....

2010-06-29T15:17:00.012+01:00

We are back from a mammouth shopping, press and partying trip in New York.
Here are some of the highlights brought to you by Jess, VA's shopgirl, attemping 'Holly Golightly' chic in 40 degrees..

Shop girls at Fille De Joie, Brooklyn's most beautiful vintage shop, (you have to check out the competition)...

Nolita @ 7pm.

Window Dresser Lauren, of the world's most chic charity shop; City Opera Thrift Store. The sales of the shop support the costume department of the New York City Opera, so this is the donation stop of choice for all the opera attending upper east side ladies. Imagine racks of eighties glittery numbers and lot's of water marked satin...

Below are some of Lauren's genius window displays.

NYC we miss you already...

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams are Made of...

2010-06-19T08:23:00.003+01:00

Although we love our little corner of Notting Hill, VA are taking a buying trip stateside.. Keep an eye on the blog to see what we get up to, and more importantly what we buy....

Class Act 2010

2010-06-18T12:23:00.008+01:00

Last night VA attended the Central Saint Martin's Ba private view, paying particular attention to the Fashion Communication and Promotion pathway, (a few of us here at VA are ex-students of the course). The studio was sweaty and packed with giddy hope for the future, relief that it's finally all over, and the smell of Cobra beer, (the evening’s generous sponsor). Each student in the class of sixteen had to produce their own magazine and a portfolio of fashion and styling work.
Rachel Crowther used her knowledge gained assisting set designer Anna Burns to create a visually heavy magazine focusing on interiors and fashion. Samuel John Weeks brought together his love of sport and menswear, and developed a magazine, 'I DO AIR', artfully combining the two elements. Jessica Sekington chose to focus on girls in music, profiling the likes of Marina and the Diamonds, in her magazine 2020, which can be downloaded as an I-tune app.

Vincent Levy

One of the stand-out magazines was Vincent Levy’s Pygmalion, an ode to the girls he grew up with on a council estate in Hounslow. A comic book obsessed child, Levy’s love for fashion was born form frequent trips accompanying his mum to the local hair dressers in Hounslow, "I would read the magazines because I was bored, I remember staring at a picture of Naomi Campbell, I didn't really understand what she was, I thought she was a comic book hero.”
All the girls in Levy’s magazine have a raw quality, their eyebrows are painted on,their upper-lips are pierced. “I’m more interested in how real girls dress, than fashion people, my school friends take so much pride in the way they dress, I was in awe of them growing up.” Levy’s unique flair for styling is a perfect example of the talent harboured on the FCP course, headed by fashion writer Hywel Davies. We look forward to seeing more of Levy, and the rest of the class of 2010 in the future.

Nice Threads

2010-06-16T16:30:00.006+01:00

Fitzrovia is one of central London’s best kept secrets. This tiny gallery hidden away on Well Street is the perfect example of the understated gems in area. Only minutes from manic Oxford street is the covert Diemar/Noble Photography gallery. The current exhibition, Threads is by no means new, in fact it’s been open since May, ( but you have until 11th of July to visit), and pulls together the ‘Six Masters of Fashion Photography’, according to Diemar/Noble they are; Erwin Blumenfeld, Guy Bourdin, William Klein, Helmet Newton, Norman Parkinson and Edward Steichen.
Highlights include Guy Bourdin’s infamous ‘Chapeaux-choc' and some rare Polaroids by Helmet Newton. For aspiring fashion photographers this exhibition will teach you everything you need to know.

Helmut Newton

Guy Bourdin

Picture This

2010-06-15T15:59:00.011+01:00

Image sharing website weheartit.com is the perfect site for inspiration and procrastination. Just enter a word into the search and pages of beautiful images similarly tagged appear. Founder of the site, web designer Fabio Giolito kindly agreed to answer some of our questions. There was only one way to do the interview - in pictures of course.

What can you see out of your window right now?

What gave you the idea to start up We Heart It?

How did you feel when you realised it was a hit?

Who is the typical subscriber to We Heart It?

What’s your next venture?

Thanks Fabio! Now time to do some work....

Make Mine a Guinness

2010-06-14T16:52:00.002+01:00

The Christies auction of Isabella Blow's Waderobe, due to take place this September has been cancelled. The news has just broke that Daphne Guinness has bought the entire collection. She told The New York Times, "It’s Issy — it’s her DNA — it should not be scattered to the four winds....I want it to remain as a monument.” - Daphne Guinness we salute you.

We Were Under The Influence

2010-06-11T14:26:00.007+01:00

Fashion and Art magazine Under The Influence, launched it's new issue last night in East London. The free bar opened with Pink 47 gin, or was that 47 Pink Gins? Each. It seems like it now... We weren't the only ones enjoying being 'in the pink' - together with fellow partygoers, we had drunk the gin bar dry within a couple of hours. Lot's of people, lots of drink and a great band that had Velvet Underground aspirations. We think... But the highlight of the party was you could smoke inside - how 2006.

DJ Bishi on a roll

A sofa

Why we all have hangovers.

Stop making scents...?

2010-06-09T12:21:00.005+01:00

It is with jaw dropping horror we read in FT at the weekend that by August this year the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), the perfume industry's governing body, will be restricting the use of oak moss (contained in Guerlains's Mitsouko scent among others); jasmine (most famously in Chanel No 5) and ylang ylang.

So Chanel No 5 but not as Marilyn knew it.

According to the chairman of IFRA 'Consumer health is becoming more and more important. We do not do [the regulation] for the pleasure of preventing our creators [from making their scents], we do it because we want to be responsible.'

Oh please.

And this is not the first dictat from the IFRA, they have been at it for 'decades' Mitsouko by Guerlain and Joy by Jean Patou are known to have already been reformulated.

They still let us drink alcohol, they still let us smoke. As far as we know, no-one has ever cited 'Joy' as a cause of death....

In The City

2010-06-09T11:45:00.003+01:00

Spot the shop... Yes that's right, our beautiful shop on Ledbury Road was the venue for this shoot in City AM of our good friend and fine jeweller, Lauren Adriana.
So pretty!

VA IN VOGUE

2010-06-02T12:37:00.002+01:00

What a lovely surprise we got this afternoon when browsing Vogue.com...

Yes, Sir Paul Smith has blogged about the VA and Lauren Adriana event that took place last week!

How lovely!

http://www.vogue.co.uk/blogs/fashion-designers/paul-smith/100602-message-in-a-bottle.aspx

French Affair

2010-05-28T16:57:00.006+01:00

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

2010-05-27T15:52:00.006+01:00

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

2010-05-25T14:55:00.002+01:00

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

2010-05-25T14:23:00.011+01:00

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

2010-05-25T13:36:00.017+01:00

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

2010-05-17T12:04:00.006+01:00

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

2010-05-13T17:13:00.003+01:00

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.

2010-05-06T13:47:00.005+01:00

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

Tragic Kingdom

2010-04-29T16:02:00.002+01:00

Let's Talk About Sex

2010-04-28T15:57:00.004+01:00

Yes thats right, VA makes it's Timeout debute in The SEX Issue... Grab a copy today, and turn to page 26 to see VA's new Notting Hill store described as an 'Old World Boutique', where 'the fashion is phenomenal'....

VA are having a Party!

2010-04-26T12:15:00.003+01:00

Email - press@vintageacademe.com for details..

Anna Popovich!

2010-04-21T08:50:00.005+01:00

The VA store has a regular stream of gorgeous visitors. Yesterday Anna Popovich, breeezed in on the spring air. By day she mends costumes for the Holland park Opera. By night she sews her own collections of whimsical dresses in her Fitzrovia apartment, which was (most likely) once a frequent haunt of Virginia Woolf. We convinced her into our 1960s Givenchy haute couture top. Corduroy shorts and gloves, Anna's own designs.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/annapopovich

look at this one!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/45386430/marilyn-dress-draped-cocktail-dress

Im - Press - ed

2010-04-20T13:02:00.006+01:00

VA are in the news this week...

Thanks to Queensofvintage.com for featuring VA's Jess, and her jewellery designer mate, Lauren Adriana, deciding what to wear to the incredible Grace Kelly Party last Thursday at the V&A.

Also... We Love Candy! - as in Daily Candy, the holy grail of fashion press, who reviewed our new store yesterday.
More on it's way.....

Grace-ful Attire

2010-04-14T11:50:00.004+01:00

The Grace Kelly private view at the V&A is fast approaching.

Here at the VA HQ panic has set in about what to wear... Balenciaga would be the obvious choice, and it has to be haute couture....Should it be from the 1950s? Maybe a Dior gown would be better? Without a Hermes Kelly bag, our hands might look a bit bare, does anyone have an Oscar we can clutch?

Dior Haute Couture - Vintage Academe Private Collection

VA in WONDERLAND

2010-04-12T15:18:00.003+01:00

Thankyou to the lovely people at Wonderland Magazine for putting the new VA store and shopgirl on their website this week....

http://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/blog/?p=10279
http://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/blog/?p=10279

http://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/blog/?p=10279
http://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/blog/?p=10279

http://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/blog/?p=10279
http://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/blog/?p=10279

The Way We Wore

2010-04-04T17:55:00.004+01:00

It is such a sunny day in the vA shop.. we have been so busy with buyers/press/friends/flowers... please come down this weekend if you are in Notting Hill!

You're so vain...

2010-04-03T18:23:00.010+01:00

No, we didn't think this song was about us. But it's Easter - and thoughts of resurrection abound. If VA were to come back in an another life as a music video, it would be this.

Happy Easter!

Sign of The Times

2010-04-03T11:21:00.000+01:00

We have signs! They are beautiful!

Our Love Affair with Elizabeth Taylor....

2010-04-02T17:56:00.008+01:00

Whoops! Our florist at One.Two.Five Ledbury had misread this week's order. Blue hyacinths. Yes, flowers do come in colours other than white. Apparently... The colour immediately inspired us to create a humble hommage to one of the greatest Hollywood stars of all, Dame Elizabeth Taylor. The books are opened on pages with violet hues, our favourite jewels are on display and of course, our inspiration takes centre stage.

A lady who wore a diamond tiara while swimming, would let strangers come up and stroke the diamonds she was wearing and who said of Bush “I don't think President Bush is doing anything at all about Aids. In fact, I'm not sure he even knows how to spell Aids.”

Elizabeth Taylor, we love you.

Playing Shop

2010-04-02T13:27:00.008+01:00

The disappointing spring weather will not dampen our enthusiasm here at VA. Especially as we have our beautiful new shop at 125 Ledbury Road in Notting Hill...

Introducing.........

2010-03-31T17:41:00.006+01:00

Apologies for going quiet on the blog front....
We have been busy opening our fashion store, One.Two.Five Presents at 125 Ledbury Road in Notting Hill.
Team VA have been occupied with shopping for flowers, dressing the window, and road testing all the new stock (naturally).
Here's some pictures taken by our creative director this afternoon, of the VA girls playing dressing-up.....

Jess in 1970s Ossie Clark Traffic Light Dress

Kess in 1980s Atelier Versace

Come in and see us!

Turban Powered

2010-03-25T11:41:00.007Z

VA are big fans of Queens of Vintage, the on-line magazine for vintage fashion lovers. Where else can you find an article on the genius of turbans the “quick and chic solution to a bad hair day for any vintage-loving girl”. It’s not just the fashion advice that we keep logging on for, but lessons on the provenance of a trend though fashion history, and the alternative pin-up girls.
At VA, we have intimate understanding of the power turban dressing. In 2007, one of the team, whilst working for a vintage brand in New York, had 'the most horrendous bleached do', so spent most days hidden behind a turban. Jess, we think it might be time to resurrect that look, (the turban, not the bleach).

Blogger's Block

2010-03-22T17:23:00.017Z

We all get lost for inspiration from time to time, whether you are a poet, fashion designer or fashion blogger, no one is safe from the dreaded black cloud.
Our tip for when you are suffering from a creativity block, is to play the “We Heart It Game”, and very soon the cloud will be lifted.

What you have to do is pick three things that are flickering at the back of your mind, and enter them into weheartit.com, the image sharing web space.
In seconds you have access to thousands of beautiful images, logged and tagged by like-minded image hoarders. You can also set-up your own account to file and share your personal collection. Choose from scans of vintage magazines, self initicated fashion shoots and holiday snaps. After a few moments lost in the archives of WeHeartIt.com you are guaranteed to feel inspired.
Here’s what we are thinking about this grey Wednesday morning, and what popped up when we entered them in weheartit.com.

TEA

WILD FLOWERS

CARDIGANS

Why don't you give it a go? http://weheartit.com/

Fash - Films

2010-03-22T14:53:00.003Z

Is anyone else guilty of watching films solely for the fashion content? Yesterday, I celebrated one of the final gasps of winter, (where hibernation is still expectable), by taking residence on the sofa, and entered the Technicolor world of Bob Fosse’s Cabaret. This film is a vintage fashion fantasy, a stylised version of the 1930s, through a 1970s filter, complete with gritty drag references. Cue flared halterneck all-in-ones, oversized furs, floppy brimmed hats, and Liza Minnelli’s imitable green nail varnish. Life is really is a Cabaret.

A Room of One's Own

2010-03-19T18:20:00.011Z

Vintage Academe has spent the last eighteen months as fashion's most exquisite vagrant. We have inhabited sun-drenched warehouses in Battersea, sung for our supper at the V&A, liaised in anonymous hotel suites and private members clubs across the city.... After a tiresome but thrilling journey, we are pleased to announce that VA finally has A Room of One's Own.

That room, painted a chic shade of grey, is tucked away in Notting Hill at 125 Ledbury Road. ( Up the road from Matches if you must ask).

We have rails. We have our first bouquet of ‘good luck’ roses, and we have a promise of an opening date – Saturday the 27th of March.

Please keep an eye on the blog this week, as we might be able to open sooner, but at the moment, this is the date to save. Now please excuse us, we have furniture to shop for.

VA at the V&A!

2010-03-18T18:55:00.007Z

Vintage Academe spent the morning at the V&A, presenting our archive, to an enthusiastic audience of students and collectors, enrolled on the "Vintage to Vogue" fashion history course.
We were delighted that we could share our collection, and listen to what Clare Rose,
fashion history lecturer at the V&A, had to say about the history of the pieces. An Issey Miyake ribbon dress proved popular, and the exquisite cut of an eighties Thierry Mugler, drew an admiring crowd.

Clare Rose said, "It's great to have a vintage brand like Vintage Academe, who cleverly brings vintage fashion into today's fashion world. They have a strong collection, and it has been chosen with a good eye."

For more information go to - http://www.vam.ac.uk/school_stdnts/index.html

Punch drunk by Penn

2010-03-18T15:37:00.010Z

For reasons we will soon start to reveal on this site - we have only just been able to visit the Irving Penn exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Simply titled 'Portraits', perfectly echoing his puritanical ethos, this is an exhibition of some of the West's cultural titans of the past 7 decades. Candidates for the Fantasy Dinner Party? They are all here... But this is Penn. It's not a mere log of 120 faces - every picture is an intense and revealing study. Shunning elaborate props, sets or gimmicks, he distills to the very essence of the sitter in each image. The youthful Peter Ustinov is cherubic, Schaiparelli - screamingly defiant. For anyone interested in recent Western Culture - this is unmissable - but be prepared to be hit 120 times right between your eyes.

Irving Penn Portraits, The National Gallery until 6th June.

Say Grace

2010-03-15T18:22:00.000Z

Think of timeless, unerring beauty and think instantly of the inimitable 1950s style icon, Grace Kelly. Imagine a world of old school Hollywood glamour, of black and white movies, of giving up a glittering career at only 26 to fall in love and become the Princess of Monaco ...

And it doesn't stop there! From Yves Saint Laurent to Balenciaga, the actress packed a lot of breathtaking couture outfits into her life. No wonder we can’t wait to see how the celebrated beauty transformed herself from actress to princess when the V&A opens its doors on Grace Kelly: Style Icon on April 17th.

Set to contain over 50 pieces from her spectacular wardrobe, we're anticipating a revival of classic sophistication. And to accompany the exhibition, the first book to look exclusively at Grace’s unique style will be published. We'll definitely be buying a copy of this... Hermes didn't name their most luxurious handbag after Grace for nothing.

Our Friends in the North

2010-03-07T09:26:00.004Z

On a recent buying trip up north, we met 22 year old, folksinger and vintage shop owner, Lucy Conroy. Lucy set up her own vintage boutique, ‘Lucy and the Caterpillar’, when she was only nineteen, ‘because I had ran out of storage space for my own collection, and thought it might be a good idea to try and sell some of it’, she informed Va, when we stumbled across her busy attic shop, nestled high above the centre of the scenic market town, Hebden Bridge. The unbelievably picturesque town, now a favourite of artists and poets, is most well known for it’s literally residents, past and present, most famously Ted Hughes.

Read on for Lucy's top five, vintage tips for the North.

1. Leeds Vintage Fashion Fair
I bought a monochrome fifties tea dress from this fair, it was made for a ballet dancer who had danced for the queen. I wore it to the Christian Dior fashion show in Paris, I felt so special, all the photographers were whispering, ‘Who is she?’ French Vogue took my picture for the party page; I think they thought it was vintage Chanel.
http://www.leedsvintagefashionfairs.com/

2. Whim Wham Club, Manchester
Clubbing depresses me, people no longer make any effort to look good, and isn’t that the whole point of going out! I went out the other night and at the end of it thought, ‘god that was a waste of make-up!’ That’s why I love the Whim Wham Club, it’s a burlesque and cabaret night, but not a theme night, just very glamorous. You can really dress-up and everyone appreciates the effort you have made. And you are not going to get WKD spilt on your satin dress.
http://www.myspace.com/whimwhamclub

3. Saltsmill
Saltsmill is a old mill, in a little town called Saltaire, near Bradford. The mill was built in the Victorian times. It has been renovated into galleries, antique shops and two beautiful restaurants. It’s an incredible building; they have lots of David Hockney exhibitions. I love the French restaurant on the roof, and the bookshops.
http://www.saltsmill.org.uk/

Image. Saltsmill.

4. The Souk
The Souk is the best antique shop in Haworth, a gorgeous little town in West Yorkshire. The town has lot’s of independent shops, The Souk is near the Bronte Museum.
117 Main Street, Haworth, West Yorkshire, 01535 646538.

5. My Shop
Come to Hebden Bridge for the day and visit me in my shop, I’ll make you a cup of tea and some crumpets!
http://www.myspace.com/caterpillarvintage

Follow her blog describing how she sews a fifties style dress, to match her Vivian Westwood by Melissa shoes –
http://lucyandthecaterpillaradventures.blogspot.com/

Now this deserves an Oscar...

2010-03-06T10:37:00.007Z

In breathless awe...

Spring

2010-03-03T09:17:00.002Z

Happy Campers

2010-03-02T09:28:00.004Z

Dancing until dawn at festivals, vintage shopping and weekend breaks at country estates, are our top three summer pastimes.

So you can imagine our excitement when we discovered Vintage at Goodwood. The vintage fashion/music festival, which debuts this August, at The Goodwood Estate on the Sussex coast.
The festival is organised by Wayne Hemingway, (of Red or Dead fashion fame) and the Goodwood Sussex coast estate owner, Lord March.
Hemingway says 'We have carefully curated a celebratory, that re-unites music, fashion and culture; that is unashamedly about dressing up rather than down’.

Fashion
Va are already planning what to wear, although it sounds as if you could arrive with an empty backpack, and leave with a whole new wardrobe, with plenty of vintage shops, including a carefully designed ‘vintage high street’, housing the Kenwood Emporium and a recreation of Oxfam’s first High Street shop from 1948. The curators have also selected pieces from today’s collections, for the ‘Tomorrow’s Vintage’ exhibition, showcasing what they think will become covetable items of the future.

What To See
Catwalk shows, like Mods v Rockers and ‘The British New Look’, discovering cuts from the forties, run in the same bill as the musicians, who range from Imelda May, Sandy Shaw and The Noisettes. Lily Allen is in attendance, but not on the stage, instead she is using the festival to launch her new vintage label. Be sure to book in afternoon tea with the WI, a place in the roller disco, or visit the 40s-style nightclub and a recreation of the Northern Soul venue Wigan Casino.

Camping
Expect preferential treatment if you turn up in a classic camper. If camping in your vintage finery doesn’t sound too appealing, you can book into one of the festivals ‘posh tents’ which come complete with a butler to prepare your breakfast on-site.

August 13-15 of 2010, Tickets are already on sale with adult day passes for £55 and weekend camping tickets at £150. Go to www.vintageatgoodwood.com

On-line Love

2010-02-28T14:59:00.000Z

Whilst flicking through a recent copy of Vogue, we came across a recommendation for queensofvintage.com. , an online magazine dedicated to all things vintage -
We are now officially hooked!
Where else would you find an ‘Ode to Lucite’, a feature on ‘The Ten Must-haves for a Boudoir’ or a discussion on Wartime diets.
If that’s not enough the Queen’s team also find time to organise fashion flash mobs, and set up vintage-style hair salons across the country.
Go to - http://www.queensofvintage.com.
And follow on twitter - http://twitter.com/QueensOfVintage
(Image of Jean Harlow from the site.)

Return of the Killer Storms

2010-02-28T08:22:00.005Z

Yes - another ghastly, wet day ahead... Inspired by this clip, we're saying goodbye to Feb with an afternoon of B-Movie heaven....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e7U3hu4A0I

Lily's Vintage Venture

2010-02-26T14:30:00.003Z

Lily Allen has done a 'Sienna':momentarily ditching the entertainment industry to set up a fashion brand with her sister.
'I'm in the office every day, sourcing clothes and getting really excited about my new venture.' Enthuses Lily about her new vintage brand. This isn’t Lily’s first foray into the world of fashion. In 2007 she designed a vintage inspired range for New Look, and has recently modeled for Chanel. The premise of the store, which will be called ‘Lucy in Disguise’, is that girls can hire peices from the collection, so get to wear beautiful clothes without the hefty price tag. What more proof did we need of fashion's latest love affair with quality vintage than celebrity endosement - thanks Lily!

From Russia with Love

2010-02-22T08:46:00.005Z

As one of the world's most powerful supermodels, Natalia Vodianova can wear any designer she wishes. So it is a testiment to her innate style and good taste, that for the 2009, British Fashion Awards, and The Met Ball she chose to showcase her exquisite collection of Fortuny gowns.
Another famous Fortuny fan was Clarisse Coudert - Mrs. Condé Nast, here is a beautful picure of her wearing one of the famous tea gowns, circa 1917.

Celia Birtwell's musings on true elegance.

2010-02-21T14:38:00.004Z

Reading a recent, and rare, interview with the intensly private Celia Birtwell we came across this gem on style and elegance:

'I like quality. I appreciate a sense of style. But this mania for sporting designer logos on everything we wear or carry - it's terribly vulgar, isn't it? True elegance requires a little modesty, and the need to rely solely on labels and brand names is, if anything, indiciative of a lack of self-confidence.'

Celia Birtwell, we love you.

VA Masterclasses at Topshop

2010-02-20T18:06:00.004Z

We've just completed the second of the two Masterclasses at Topshop. Our curator Judith Watt came up trumps with her typically entertaining and hands-on style. Quite literally. To our amazement, our founder seemed surprisingly relaxed when Judith invited the audience to lean over the display barrier and feel the 1920s Chanel cocktail dress on display. Perhaps the shock set in later...

Big thanks to all the team at Topshop - you have been a dream to work with and your enthusiasm for VA has been fantastic!

For those who missed the talks, the display will continue throughout Fashion Week, at Topshop, Oxford Circus. But it is just for looking only now, sorry!

VA Private Collection Display at Topshop for LFW

2010-02-19T20:27:00.008Z

Some of the pieces of our Private Collection on display in Topshop during London Fashion Week.

Display includes 1920s Patou and Chanel; 1930s Shciaparelli, Mainbocher and Pacquin; 1970s Paco Rabanne and Ossie Clark; 1980s Alaia.

Pop down to Topshop this week to see these fantastic pieces of fashion history in the flesh. You might even see Philip Green admiring them - we have it on good authority that he's a big fan!

Topshop, Oxford Circus, Lower Ground Floor.

VA now on Twitter

2010-02-18T23:35:00.002Z

Stay up to date with all things VA, as we have now joined the cultural revolution that is Twitter.

Follow us at: http://twitter.com/vintageacademe

VA x Topshop Master Class, this weekend . . .

2010-02-18T23:32:00.003Z

Vintage Academe – Topshop - LFW Event

To celebrate London Fashion Week, Vintage Academe will be curating an installation at Topshop’s Oxford Circus store. The installation will showcase the most important pieces from our collection of 20th century fashion. The display will range from 20s Vionnet and Chanel, through to 90s Alaia and Herve Leger.

“We have long admired Vintage Academe and are delighted to be able to offer it’s unique archive of fashion history to customers. This exhibition offers the perfect balance to the contemporary designers with whom we collaborate on a regular basis.”
-Topshop

The Master Class
On 19th and 20th February, VA founder Clare Nicholls and VA Curator, author and fashion historian Judith Watt will be in-store to give the history behind some of the clothes and the designers who created them. Visitors will be able to try on some of the pieces – with vintage-styling advice from Topshop Style Advisors – and some pieces will be available to buy.

“VA are delighted to be a part of Topshop’s London Fashion Week celebrations. This is the perfect opportunity for VA to open our archive to Topshop’s fashion-savvy customers, and establish ourselves as Europe’s finest luxury vintage retailers.”
-Clare Nicholls, Founder of VA

Stop Press

2010-02-17T17:38:00.007Z

Links to VA in the news!

http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/100208-topshop-fashion-week-activity.aspx

http://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/blog/?tag=vintage-academe

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1250508/London-Fashion-Week-Valentines-lip-service-plus-latest-Barbies-love-affair-Christian-Louboutin.html

http://insideout.topshop.com/
http://insideout.topshop.com/

http://insideout.topshop.com/
http://insideout.topshop.com/

http://insideout.topshop.com/
http://insideout.topshop.com/

http://insideout.topshop.com/
http://insideout.topshop.com/

Top of The Blogs

2010-02-17T11:34:00.001Z

VA loves this image from superblogger - jakandjil.

http://jakandjil.com/blog/?p=3757

Because Life is Divine

2010-02-17T09:48:00.000Z

Giving something up for Lent? Easy. The choice is overwhelming... Instead we've going to do something far more enriching - read Dante's Divine Comedy. The aim is to reach Paradiso with him on Easter Sunday. Beacuse life is divine, and yes, it is still also a comedy...

Talk to the Walls

2010-02-16T16:03:00.000Z

VA has just returned from a country estate auction, held yesterday in a secret location in the north of England. Although we can’t yet reveal our new purchases, we can report on what we did once we had finished shopping.
Before boarding for Euston we went to Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery, for the newly opened exhibition, ‘Walls are Talking:Wallpaper, Art and Culture’, as recommended by this month's Vogue.The exhibition extensively explores artist-designed wallpaper. Featured artists include Damien Hirst, Sarah Lucas and Julie Verhoeven. It is interesting to see how many artists have utilised this medium, and subverted the domestic associations with wallpaper to convey their messages. A truly underated artform.

(www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk,250 Oxford Road, Manchester,0161 275 7450. Exhibition runs 6th Feb - May 3rd)

Comfort Cinema

2010-02-16T13:47:00.000Z

It’s raining, it’s February.
There’s only one way to spend today: find your nearest indie cinema, and get a ticket for one for this afternoon's screening of a classic film . No need to share popcorn, and just think it could be sunny by the time the film finishes!

If you can't make out what VA's afternoon film was, here's a clue-

“I could find a real-life place that'd make me feel like Tiffany's, then - then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name!”

VA’s top Indie Cinemas

1.The Cornerhouse
Oxford Street, Manchester (cornerhouse.org, 0161-200 1500)
2. The Duke of York’s
Preston Circus, Brighton (www.picturehouses.co.uk, 0871 704 2056)
3. Chapter Arts
Market road, Cardiff (www.chapter.org, 029 2030 4400)
4.Ritzy Picturehouse
Coldharbour Lane, London (www.picturehouses.co.uk, 0207 733 2229)

Goodbye

2010-02-12T08:14:00.000Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1a5rhY3Spg

Pop Goes The Shop

2010-02-08T16:39:00.000Z

We are delighted to announce that for London Fashion Week, February 2010, VA will be curating an installation, and holding a week long pop-up shop at Topshop’s Oxford Circus store. The installation will showcase the most important pieces from our collection of 20th century fashion. The display will range from 20’s Vionnet and Chanel, through to 90’s Alaia and Herve Leger.
What more on the 19th and 20th of February, our founder, Clare Nicholls and VA Curator, author and fashion historian, Judith Watt will be in-store to give the history behind some of the clothes and the designers who created them.

Visitors will be able to try on some of the pieces – with vintage-styling advice from Topshop Style Advisors – and some pieces will be available to buy.

London Fashion Week, 18th-23rd Febuary 2010.

A Tale of Two Cities

2010-02-08T13:33:00.000Z

Today in Selfridges VA witnessed a real life fashion cat fight! The scrap broke out over the last pair of Henry Holland 'House Mock' Over the Knee Tights for Pretty Polly. The clever design has proved so popular, that they are this season's hosiery sell-out.
The pattern brings to mind an incredible 1920s black chiffon and beaded Coco Chanel 'LBD' we have in our private collection- proving that an iconic skyline will always be in fashion.

Cat Power

2010-02-08T13:32:00.001Z

This spring the catwalk is crawling with feline inspired fashion.
At Azzaro, Vanessa Seward made her furry friend Monsieur Jo, the star of her S/S 10 collection, when she enlisted artist Florence Deygas to sketch her pet, and then embroidered the image in sliver onto a collection of silk white dresses.
Miuccia Prada presented a feline-fest at Mui Mui with plenty of girlish cat prints, and oversized kitty broaches pinned onto lapels.
Finally Alexa Chung was ousted as a ‘cat-lady', when she sported Lulu Guinness’s ‘Kooky Eyed Cat’ clutch bag on the red carpet, the showpiece in Lulu’s current collection of cat inspired accessories.
Here at VA we are dreaming of Schiaparelli’s 1960s cat –eye spectacles, Tatty Devine's cat cut-out bangles and this vintage yellow cat print dress, as seen in Harriet Magazine: a fashion zine we picked up in Magma bookshop. This adorable shoot in Harriet concludes, ‘You will never walk alone with cats on your dress’ - Purrfect.

Link to Harriet Magazine:-
http://www.harrietmagazine.com/

It's Coming . . .

2010-02-07T15:47:00.000Z

London Fashion Week AW10 Starts on the 18th February, stay tuned for lots of VA LFW updates, comments and some special announcements, changes and pieces we're working on especially for Fashion week.

www.vintageacademe.com
www.vintageacademe.blogspot.com

Top Secret

2010-02-03T17:30:00.000Z

There is drama and excitment in the VA head quarters this afternoon, as something very exciting has been announced...
Watch this space!

Book Club

2010-02-03T17:20:00.000Z

This week at VA we are using the miserable weather as an excuse to stay in, and finally address the pile of books still untouched from Christmas presents. Top of the pile is More is More: Tony Duquette, a beautiful book about the iconic American decorator Duquette, famous for his extravagant film-sets and interiors. The star of the book however is his artist wife, Elizabeth ‘Beegle’ Duquette. Beegle was the favourite painter of Hollywood director, Vincent Minnelli. She created murals that appear in a number of his films – the painting of Elizabeth Taylor in The Sandpaper was painted by the artist. Beegle often wore her husband’s creations and was famed for her love of expensive jewellery. All the top fashion designers fought to dress her, and her vast collection was said to be so big, it took a whole day to pack for a trip. Imagine if we could have a peak into that wardrobe!
More is More:Tony Duquette by Hutton Wilkinson(Abrams,£45)

In the Hood

2010-02-03T16:37:00.000Z

Fashion is rarely practical, so it came as a pleasant surprise this season when Nicolas Ghesquiere sent his models down the Balenciaga catwalk, with hooded leather gillets to shelter them from the spring rain. A word of caution when trying the ‘hoodie’ trend - the look is more sportswear/club-kid than Scottish widow advert, so avoid velvet and stick to a sporty silhouette. Here at VA we have a beautiful 1980s Alaia hooded dress that is perfectly encapsulates the look.

http://shop.vintageacademe.com/products/1980s-alaia-hooded-dress

Earn Your Stripes

2010-01-27T14:56:00.001Z

During a spot of late night ‘e-tail’, we came across this cheeky thick striped jumper dress by Sonia Rykiel. It bought to mind the incredible Traffic Light dress by Ossie Clark we have recently added to our collection.

Move over the humble breton stripe - the future is streaked in wide bands of the brightest rainbow hues.

Confectionary Couture

2010-01-27T13:38:00.001Z

This week's Chanel haute couture show signalled a much welcome end to the recent serge of eighties power dressing. Lagerfeld presented a generous scoop of ice-cream coloured, feminine fashion, with not so much as a ‘pagoda shoulder’ in site. For your own exclusive piece of the (cream) pie, check out one of our most recent acquisitions: a 1960’s pink haute couture Chanel suit, no doubt this silk shift dress and jacket was plucked from the Chanel archive, and used as inspiration for this season's collection.

Ring Leader

2010-01-27T12:56:00.000Z

This afternoon VA dropped by the Notting Hill salon of Lauren Adriana, fine jeweller and fan of Vintage Academe. Over a cup of earl grey, Lauren, 24, filled us in on her recent appointment at Vogue House,
"I presented my current collection to Carol Woolton, Vogue’s Jewellery Editor,” she told us excitedly. Her beautiful collection clearly impressed, gaining the ambitious jeweller a much coveted mention in a future issue of Vogue. Lauren recalls the meeting saying: “We bonded over our mutual appreciation of modernist jewellery,” Lauren lists her influences as Suzanne Belperron and Raymond Templier amongst others. “I think she also liked the fact that I try to create pieces that can be passed down through generations.”
Lauren's new ‘Couture Collection’ is a selection of delicately encrusted pieces that reference the 1950’s, is the antithesis of the disposable jewellery that so many young designers are quick to churn out today. “When it comes to my personal style I don’t go for fast fashion and the newest trend, I prefer to have a few quality pieces, designer or vintage, and I aim to carry this through into my designs.”

To see Lauren’s own style, visit fashion blog:
showmeyourwadrobe.com or follow this link -
http://showmeyourwardrobe.blogspot.com/2010/01/lauren-adriana-jewellery-designer-as.html.

Or for more information, or to book a consultation with the designer, visit her website:
www.laurenadriana.com

or follow Lauren on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/LAjewellery

New Year, New Pieces; Backstage . . .

2010-01-09T15:10:00.000Z

After a very exciting month of buying in December, yesterday our Creative Director had a fantastic day shooting the new pieces - some will join our permanent collection and some will be for sale - as well as shooting all of those incredible labels, from 1920's Gabrielle Chanel and Jean Patou, to 1950's Balmain and Dior, 1970s Paco Rabanne Couture, all the way up to 80 and 90's Comme Des Garcons, Galliano and Alaia. Stay tuned for more on this, but for now here are some shots from yesterdays fantastic shoot.

(Shown above we have 90's Gaultier Fetish on set, 60's Yves Saint Laurent haute couture lace work waiting to be shot and photographer Pelle Crepin on set)

Christmas with Leonor Fini

2009-12-29T19:37:00.000Z

Lazily relying on the marvel that is Amazon for the Christmas presents for the 'impossible to buy for' crew, we unearthed a rare gem: Sphinx The Life and Art of Leonor Fini.

An exquiste and exhaustively researched account of the life of one of 20th Century's most important and curiously underrated artists - we've been devouring it. A prodigous talent, she was first exhibited by Christian Dior before he became a couturier, designed the renowed 'May West' bottle for Schiaparelli's Shocking Perfume, was the subject of some of 20th Century's most important photographs and the first woman to paint an erotic male nude. However, her foremost talent was that of an artist, painting some of the most powerful paintings of her time, exploring the power of the feminine. We couldn't have wished for a more brilliant present.

Christmas in . . . Vogue

2009-12-19T21:55:00.001Z

Our recent acquisitions of key late 1920s and early 1930s pieces, an ignited love of things white and furry, freezing temperatures and falling snow; this UK Vogue cover from December 1929 summarizes our December perfectly!

Peau d'ours blanc / 'ursus maritimus'

2009-12-16T19:52:00.000Z

So good, we had to show him again. Magnificent beast!

Paris When It Sizzles

2009-12-16T14:09:00.000Z

No, we are not the ones who recently spent £60,000 on Audrey Hepburn's LBD from 'Paris when it sizzles' but we have just returned from a brilliant buying trip to Paris. We've stocked up on haute couture Chanel, YSL, Nina Ricci, Jean Patou and, most wonderful of all, a 1928 Vionnet... Something we think is much better than Audrey's dress!

Good thing we took a very large bag from Jeeves, our dry cleaners. Sadly there was not room for the polar bear rug. So wrong, but somehow as we sit here watching it snow outside, oh so right...

A very special label . . .

2009-12-04T22:00:00.000Z

We admit to indulging in little label fetish every now and then at VA but we have become chronic obsessives about the labels on two of our recent acquisitions.

'Gabrielle Chanel'

In her early years at 31 Rue Cambon, Chanel used her first name, Gabrielle, on black silk tags. By the 1930s she had dropped 'Gabrielle'. Labels simply read 'Chanel' and she was more readily identified by her moniker 'Coco'. Our two new Chanel pieces date from 1920s, just as she was starting out. Spine tingling.

As for the pieces? We will be revealing more on the site in the New Year...

VA in Acne Paper Issue 9.

2009-11-30T12:19:00.000Z

Here are just some of the VA pieces featured in this seasons Acne paper, modeled by Actress Tilda Swinton and photographed by Paolo Roversi, with an interview by VA curator Judith Watt.

'Aviary' backstage

2009-11-30T12:13:00.001Z

Our Creative Director had an incredible day at the end of October when he spent the day shooting the VA's aptly named 'Aviary' collection of early 1960's feather hats, with photographer Pelle Crepin, and stunning model Will @ FM.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the day (finally) happen.

To see the completed final images check out the Fashion section of VA website: www.vintageacademe.com

Acne Paper Launch

2009-11-30T12:06:00.000Z

Acne celebrated the launch of issue 9 of Acne Paper, in the apt location of the very beautiful and slightly haunting Christ Church, Spitalfields in honour of the issue's themes of Art and Spirituality. S/S10's new collaborator Swarovski, added a little bit of extra sparkle to the evening as we were escorted in by door men wearing top hats and tails and bejewelled umbrellas

As fashion's finest marvelled at the beautiful candle lit singing of Samantha Smith and the captivating video projections, it then turned into quite a church party, with plenty of Absolut vodka drinks to fuel the night. Three wise men on stilts walking through the crowd added to the celestial setting (and a pre-ambling Crimbo feeling too!) and we all went home clutching a Crystallized™ goodie bag.

The new issue of Acne Paper features a haunting cover with Tilda Swinton shot by Paolo Roversi and featuring large parts of the VA collection. And to go with the themes of enlightenment, spirituality, transcendence and paradise, there are interviews with David Lynch, Marina Abramovi and AA Bronson as well as an art portfolio curated by Lisa Rovner, Neville Wakefield. Waldemar Januszczak also delves into the secrets of the Sistine Chapel and Maureen Paley pays special homage to Edvard Munch.

Acne Paper Issue 9 available worldwide now.

Inspired

2009-11-30T11:56:00.000Z

Dont worry, we're not changing the look of the VA!
But VA founder and head of the brand Clare Nicholls has just taken a once in a lifetime trip to Ethiopia, and looking at these images of the Murzi Tribe, it must have been quite an incredible and inspirational trip.

RIP Irving Penn

2009-11-30T11:48:00.000Z

Irving Penn, one of the 20th century’s most prolific and influential photographers of fashion and the famous, whose signature blend of classical elegance and cool minimalism was recognizable to magazine readers and museumgoers worldwide, died on October 7th 2009 at his home in Manhattan. He was 92.

A craftsman and a perfectionist, Penn was known for longtime association with Vogue magazine. He shot pioneering fashion photographs in the 1950s and constructed elegant portraits of many important artists of the 20th century. Equally admired for his still life work, he was still producing work into his 90s.

He will be greatly missed.

Its been a while . . .

2009-11-30T11:07:00.000Z

We've been so busy here at the VA, between inspiration trips to ethiopia, magazine and book launches, and BIG VA plans that we have completely bypassed the blog, but don't worry we will now make the effort to blog as often as possible, and as promised, as soon as we have new stock or general updates on what has been happening in the VA world.

We hope you enjoy.

To start, the left hand stunning image is part of a fashion story from an early 90's French Vogue, shot by Bruce Weber.

'Fashion's Big Night Out'

2009-09-13T19:08:00.001+01:00

Thursday night's Fashions Big Night Out' was fantastic in London's West end - EVERYTHING was open, and EVERYWHERE was serving Champagne, and chocolates / cakes / popcorn / Smoked ham (?!) / Sausgages (?!). The night was held by differing Vogue's across the world, from London to New York, Paris to Bejing, in honour of the launch night of the movie 'The September Issue' - A docu-movie chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.

Above we have the lovely Tessa, one of the staff at Dover Street Market, 'throwing face' in vintage Velvet and Lace. DSM were celebrating not only 'Fashions Big Night Out', but Also the DSM 5th Birthday - A great night was had by all.

Labels II.

2009-09-10T12:07:00.000+01:00

_Just a few more samples from our collection of beautiful garment labels.

'Country House Rescue'

2009-09-10T11:51:00.000+01:00

A few days ago we mentioned our VA trip to north wales to not only film for the channel 4 show 'Country House Rescue' but also to source pieces to add to our own collections. Well, we said we'd show you the rooms where we had to source, and this is them - to say it was a challenge would be an understatement!

Non the less, we found some stunning pieces.
Stay tuned for more of what we found at a later date.

Daphne's Debut

2009-09-10T11:40:00.000+01:00

Last Thursday night saw the launch party for Daphne Guinness’s new eponymous fragrance was held at Dover Street Market in Mayfair, London. The “Daphne” perfume is a collaboration between Guinness and Comme des Garcons and goes on sale worldwide September 18th. To start just 5,000 50ml bottles costing £90 will be released.

Guests at the launch party included not only our VA team but designers Anthony Price and Christopher Kane, model Jasmine Guinness, handbag designer Lulu Guinness, interior decorator Nicky Haslam, socialite-Chanel ambassador Poppy Delevigne, and many more.

Details II.

2009-09-08T12:00:00.000+01:00

Here a just a few more lovely details from our current collection.

From top to bottom: 1992 Comme Des garcons offset 'torn floral' dress next to a 1990's silk ribbon dress by Issey Miyake, 1960's Christian Dior 'Crystal ball buttons' next to a 1970's Ossie clark 'Traffic Light' dress, the black wire darts of a 1990's Versace Atelier jacket next to a 1970's Yves Saint Laurent floral jacket print, the corsetry of a 1990's denim houndstooth Alaïa Biker jacket next to a 1960's orange and gold Chanel tweed 2 piece and finally a 1990's Pucci dress print next to the lace detail of a Victorian Opera coat.

VA Postcards Preview

2009-09-07T13:29:00.000+01:00

To go along side the website and brand re-launch we have also been wokring away on shoots for promotional materials, above we have a selection of the new Vintage Academe postcards (From proofs to final prints) that arrived on our studio floor on Friday afternoon. Showcasing some of our favourite bits from the collection, from 1930's Schiaparelli's to 70's Ossie Clark - We hope you like!