Anna Johnson pdf

Hello SunshineIt’s time to leave the coat at home Spring is finally here!

HISTORY REPEATSWhy Vintage has made such a massive comeback and how to get the look.

WORK IT!What working in the fashion business is

really likeREADY,

STEADY,

GO!Get ready for race

season

www.belle.co.uk £2.00 May 2010

www.belle.co.uk April ¦ 1

C O N T E N T S

April 2010

www.belle.co.uk

www.belle.co.uk May ¦ 1

On the cover:

2- What it is

really like working in

fashion, we interview

vintage

store owner, Emma

Swinnerton to see if

owning our own

boutique is really as

glamerous as it sounds.

4- Get ready for spring

with the latest trends for

the sunny season.

10- Races season is upon

us, we look at some of the

hottest trends for ladies

day.

Features:

11- We look at the rise of

vintage fashion and of-

fer some tips on achieving

that perfect old look.

12- How fashion is moving

into the 21st centuary we

explore the world of

blogging and how it is

changing fashion forever.

May 2010www.belle.co.uk

BELLE

I N T E R V I E W

2 ¦ www.belle.co.uk May

Owning your own boutique may seem glamorous but what is it

really like running your own fashion business, Vintage shop owner

Emma Swinnerton talks to Anna Johnson about setting up her own

shop and her love for the past.

“We wanted to sell genuine vintage pieces instead of reworked vintage. A lot of the ‘vintage’ shops in Manchester and Liverpool, like Pop Boutique, have so many stores they struggle to stock them all and have to buy

to be different and go for original pieces.”

Walking into The Vintage Shop, Watergate Street, Chester is rather like wandering into an Aladins cave. Silk skirts, lace tops, sequined covered dresses and brightly coloured scarves cover every wall; antique dressing tables are buried under carefully displayed necklaces, earrings, broaches and even tiaras. The

elegance taking you back to a time when fashion was all about individuality and quality.

Shop owner Emma Swinnerton always dreamed of opening her own clothes store although she originally started out on a very different path when she went to study English and American Literature at Goldsmith College, London.

“After a year I decided it wasn’t for me and knew it was a now or never situation so I left University and went to do an intensive training course with Mac make up. After that I applied to London College of Fashion doing make artistry. That is when I really got into vintage fashion because most of our assignments were photo

shoots and instead of getting clothes from chain stores like Topshop we started scouring the vintage shops to make our shoot look more unique.”

With her love for vintage reawakened at college Emma returned to her home town of Chester in 2008 with the aim of starting her own business. She enlisted the help of her mother and sister and soon managed

the city centre.

“My mum has owned her own business for over 20 years now and she helped us a lot

with advice and we used her accountant. We did a lot of research before opening for example it was a good time to open a vintage store as lots of

celebrities had started wearing vintage, Chester has a large student population and there were no other vintage stores in the city.”

However starting up her new business was not

High council charges and the recession meant things would not be easy.

“You do not get support from the

“We wanted

to be

different

and go for

original

pieces.”


council you have to apply if you want to change anything, like the shop sign or the colour of the shop. Plus council rates are crazy a lot of shops have had to close because they haven’t been able to afford them.”

There was also the problem of

and her sister had to go to London to get their clothes.

“We sourced a lot of our stock from Camden and went to antique markets but then we started to be approached by dealers in Chester who had heard about us through word of mouth, you really have to rely on people talking about you to get known.”

Now the shop has been up and running for two years the next step for Emma is creating the website.

“We are having a website designed by a friend, we wanted to do it sooner but it is very expensive. I already have a blog and a page on Facebook where

new stock. We get new things in all the time and if it is good stuff it goes really quickly so I keep a wish list of items customers are looking for and I have a mailing list so I can let them know if anything comes in.”

But the shop is not just about selling the clothes, they also give customers advice on how to care or their items, offer a clothes repair service and will

It seems The Vintage Shop’s

popularity is continuing to grow with more and more customers coming from outside Chester just to visit the store.

“We have customers who travel from Liverpool every week just to see what new things we have in. Once people know we are here whenever they are in Chester they will come in.”

Emma believes the shops success is because people are fed up with the

high street shops and throw away fashion culture.

“People like vintage because they are bored of the high street fashions and feel like they are getting value for money here, which they do not get from shops like Primark, people can invest in a piece.”

So is running her own vintage fashion boutique all Emma thought it would be?

“I always wanted my own shop but you never know if you are going to enjoy it or not until you try it. There are days when you get the pressures of owning your own business, like when all the bills come through but I still love it. I love meeting new and interesting people and having a chat with the customers.”

I N T E R V I E W

Above- Emma Swinnerton’s shop, bottom right- A display in Emma’s shop.

“I always

wanted my own

shop but you

never know if

you are going to

enjoy it or not

until you try

it.”

F A S H I O N


Our

models show

off the

latest spring

fashions.

Step into Spring...


F A S H I O N

Step into Spring...

C O N T E N T S


F A S H I O N



C O N T E N T S


F A S H I O N

C O N T E N T S


F A S H I O N



C O N T E N T S


F A S H I O N

S H O P


Get set for race season 2010 with cute frilly dresses, luxurious scarves, extravagent heels

and of course those all important hats.

LadiesDay


By Anna Johnson.

Since the start of the recession independent boutiques have been struggling to survive, with shoppers favouring the cheaper chain stores like Primark. But it seems that vintage shops have managed to buck the trend offering a cheap alternative to the mass produced ‘Fast Fashion’ on the high street.

The label of ‘Vintage’ can be given to any clothes from the 20th century that are considered wearable, but mainly refers to fashion from the 1920’s to 1980’s. The sudden rise in vintages popularity shows a backlash against mass produced clothing, proving people no longer want to be clones strolling down the street in the latest Ugg boots and Topshop T shirt.

Vintage items manage to retain a little romanticism; people enjoy

perfect pair of shoes or bag after hunting through the shelves for hours, buying vintage is buying an item that will live in your

wardrobe for years to come. The clothes are usually handmade and much better produced then modern day clothing that is quickly and cheaply made and is

our throw away culture.

And it’s not just students or those on a budget hunting for a vintage bargain, another reason why Vintage has grown so much in popularity is the celebrity factor. Kate Moss is one of vintages biggest fans, recently admitting she loves anything old except men. She even named her latest perfume after

the trend. Other celebrity vintage lovers include Penelope Cruz, Dita Von Teese and even bands like Kasabian and The Arctic Monkeys.

So for the latest look start raiding your grandmas wardrobe because

With the highstreet failing to inspire it seems

everyone from celebs to students are turning

to the past. Anna Johnson looks at why

vintage has made such a strong come back.

“Vintage items manage to retain a little romanticism; people enjoy the satisfaction

perfect pair of shoes or bag”

D I S C U S S I O N


CAUSING ASCENE

T E C H N O L O G Y


BLOGGING AND

The internet seems

to be taking over

everything and now

the world of fashion

is no exception, with

fashion blogging

turning the world of

design on its head.

By Anna Johnson.

After years of ignorance it seems

the potential of the internet, online stores such as Asos and Boohoo have started popping up everywhere, even social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are being used as a base for designers to show off their latest creations and gain recognition.

However one of the most

fashion is the blogging. There are thousands of fashion blogs online offering advice and commentary on celeb style as well as photos and reviews of catwalk shows. Some of the most popular blogs such as Moment and Catwalk Queen are run by fashion experts and offer daily style guides, but anyone can start their own blog, in fact it seems to be the more personal blogs that offer a more individual take on fashion which are really causing a stir.

One of the biggest blogs was started by an East London couple, Katie and Joe. Boyfriend Joe takes a photo of Katie everyday wearing

comments on the clothes. The blog has now become something of a phenomenon, the couple have been featured in several national newspapers and magazines and Katie now regularly gets sent free samples of clothes from major designers such as Marc Jacobs in the hope their designers will feature on the blog.

Other successful blogs include bryanboy.com, started by 22 year old Bryan from Manila, since starting the blog Bryan has

become a major industry player

shows, all expenses paid, just to hang out, he has even had a bag named after him by Marc Jacobs.

turning and designers are starting to listen to what the public want instead of dictating what we should be wearing. The internet has provided the next fashion generation with a voice and that voice is getting louder.

FLOGGING

Anna Johnson pdf

Documents

vintage stores

vintage shops

rise of vintage fashion

reworked vintage

vintage store owner

fashion business

genuine vintage pieces

history repeatswhy vintage