Anna Popovich!

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

Our Friends in the North

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/

On-line Love

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

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

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

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.

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.

Ring Leader

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