The Vintage Emporium:
After living in London for over a year it was about time that I went to Brick Lane. The first shop that I happened to discover down a side street was the most beautiful vintage shop that I have ever been in. The Vintage Emporium is a hideaway museum situated under a café by the same name. After climbing down a narrow staircase I was greeted by an open book which asked politely that ‘’Customers should take special care of all items as they are very very old’’. It turns out that some outfits are so ancient that you have to book an appointment so that someone can help you try them on!
Although every surface of the shop has been covered with stock, it is all arranged in such a way that I could have spent hours investigating the nooks and crannies filled with everything from a tower of top hats to porcelain dolls, a cabinet of 50s style sunglasses to a little display of Victorian children’s shoes. I was particularly drawn to the drawers of archaic buttons and fragile lady’s gloves which were also unfortunately behind a glass screen. I later discovered that a great many things in this shop are too precious to touch such as the chairs…
At only a year old, the shop and café above both seemed to have a healthy mix of regular customers; and it wasn’t difficult to tell why. Shopping is an experience here; something between a visit to the British museum and a café that has been there for a hundred years. It seemed I was not the only person to notice as a group of art students had chosen The Vintage Emporium to sketch the dried flowers above the café counter, the flickering candles and the battered and worn old suitcases which were bursting with as much character as the store itself. The atmosphere was friendly and welcoming. Billy Holiday was playing quietly around both shops for an unusual mix of customers. The people browsing the rails of delicate lace lingerie, gramophones and violins were mostly women in their late twenties but outside on the porch sat a Rastafarian man with dreadlocks to his waist.
Almost every detail has been considered to create the illusion that you have truly stepped into a time traveller’s wardrobe, which just happened to be organised in to colour and style. The changing room is just a little alcove, lit by a large and ornate lamp, and decorated by hand drawings in mismatched frames. Even the flowers looked vintage, then again that’s probably because they were decaying. The lighting is extremely effective, as strings of fairy lights lead you subliminally around the store. The smell of the room is even inviting. It still smelt vintage but not in the way that your grandma’s house does. And the café must have been fragranced with exquisite incense. One thing that I could criticise was that lack of attention to what the clothes were actually hanging on. On a closer inspection they were simple wooden hangers dangling from horrible metal frames. This was also the moment that I discovered that the store room was actually hidden, much like Narnia, through and behind the rack of giant fur coats.
There is a menswear section. At the furthest corner of the store is a rail of trouser and coats and behind an odd collection of jodhpurs is pinned to the wall. It isn’t much to attract the male vintage customer to the store although I found it interesting to inspect the designs of such antique suits.
Overall I have to say that The Vintage Emporium has indefinitely captured my attention and I think the owners should be proud to have displayed such a cohesive and beautiful collection of clothing. I will definitely return if I ever want to buy some vintage formalwear but I do not think that the price range or offering is appropriate for the student’s everyday budget.
Dover Street Market:
I chose to do my second shop report at Dover Street Market; for what I had assumed to be a change of scenery from The Vintage Emporium. However, I was astonished to find numerous connections and similarities. Firstly, both stores sell clothing from a multitude of brands. The only difference here was that these garments were fresh off the catwalk. It was highly interesting to get a closer look at the incredible construction of the Comme des Garcons range. I was particularly intrigued by a pair of very short shorts that seemed to have at least three linings yet there was no obvious indication of how these would be worn or even pulled on. It was only after seeing a shop assistant wearing them that I understood their complexity!
Much like the vintage shop, Dover Street Market is a store with many aspects. When you first enter the first thing you are greeted by is a strong scent from the Comme des Garcons perfume section on the ground floor. The shop floor layout, at the moment, is a maze of colourful and oddly constructed wooden huts covered with the brands signature designs. To the left, glittering cabinets of carefully selected jewellery sit behind glass. The only person that I saw actually try them on, once asking permission, was Katy Perry. It was then that I noticed the rather imposing security guard, stood watch on every floor. I found it off putting, as in addition to the friendly but vigilant shop assistants I felt wary about getting too close to the clothing or displays. On the other hand, the shop was so immaculately organised by the different styles on each floor and the way that each designer had their own manner of display, that I didn’t mind that one assistant persisted to neatly rearrange the hangers each time I rebelliously moved them.
I loved the way that each designer had made their mark on the way that their clothes were presented, from leather straps instead of hangers, to a black sand beach under the Hussein Chalayan garments. Chalayan in particular had, in my opinion, the most successful presentation as each rail was being carried by two cloaked mannequins, giving that particular corner the surreal sense of creativity that surrounds his collections. There was a definite sense of styling and consideration by how each rail was accompanied by a pair or two of shoes that would perfectly match the chosen range. I understand now why this place has been described to me many times as a ‘museum’ or ‘exhibition’. I found myself, half the time, admiring the displays of giant turtle shells, swordfish blades and yellow water lilies preserved in jars, which happened to be for sale for only £150.
This brings me to the price range. It was very difficult to ascertain these figures as many prices were difficult to find or simply not there. It is a place where if you have to ask, you most likely can’t afford it. I even overheard the conversation of a couple of stylish young girls, in the store, saying that they thought they ‘’should go back to Topshop, because they would be the queens there…’’ Its seems as though at least 50% of the apparent customers are in fact just like me, because they have simply come here admire and immerse themselves in the beauty of modern design, both in fashion, art and architecture. There was even an element of artistic film in one section. A group of comparably small televisions were arranged amongst the menswear. Personally I don’t think it added to the ‘shopping’ atmosphere but it is another way that DSM has displayed its inspiration.
I was much more captivated by the style and lifestyle that is portrayed. Again, just like The Vintage Emporium, there is a café above the clothing shop levels. Here, Nina Simone played over the loud speakers; customers drank wine, ate canapés and could even go out on to the smoking balcony on the top floor. I noticed that many customers seemed to know each other though conversations were in great many languages ranging from French to Chinese. DSM caters for a wide cultural range of people but a relatively select budget. The queue on the top floor was long however on my journey up there I had not noticed many customers actually trying on the garments in the individually themed dressing rooms. I think this is because those who cannot afford the designer clothing opt for the perfume, household objects and gifts, wishing to buy into a bit of the glamour that the company has so successfully created. The location itself, in Green Park, only a minute from The Ritz Hotel shows how different the clientele can be from those shopping in Brick Lane.
