From Coral Reef to Teenage Witch: 2012 trend predictions from Judy HQ

Hello vintage fans! It's Kieran, the Vintage Vulture writing to you for the first time in 2012. Cor, isn't this NOVEL?! You're still here, we're still here, nobody has disappeared in a Y2k-style disaster [wasn't that a funny NYE?  Spending the end of '99 waving flashing beanie Millennium-Bugs whilst secretly taking inventory of your canned goods JUST in case you had to hit the bunker come midnight. Just my family? Seriously? Ok then.]

Folks, we should apologise; at a time when the web is bereft with  diets, holiday plans and sunny summer clothes [We haven't been below three layers for months!] our light-hearted chat is a necessity. Taking our snouts out of the Quality Street tin just long enough to type,  [seriously Santa, next year just bring me a nose-bag and a farm-hand to peel them] we thought we'd get back on the blog-horse.

Now, we were going to commence with just how ridiculously amazing our SPITALFIELDS JANUARY SALE was [I saw a woman leave with a Welch-worthy vintage wedding dress for a fiver. Madness!] but then we came across this: -

Lightbulb-headband and candy-pocket aside, it's not too far off the mark. Up-dos? Check. Zips? Check. "Skirts will disappear entirely" - judging by your average episode of TOWIE, check, check check! This got us to thinking, what trends do we think will be big in a not too distant future?

Prepare your notebooks and set phasers to STUNNING as we run through some of 2012's  S/S potentially hot trends....

Sportswear-as-every-wear: Stella makes tracksuits, Ri-Ri wears short-shorts and our wardrobes crumble into 'going for gold.' Olympic fever may be here but there's no need to look like a hemorrhaging rainbow; just like Victoria B, we're turning to tailored vintage Lettermans and satin-y blouses to get the 411 on looking less 118. Adidas head-to-toe a million miles from a podium? Never going to be cool.

Do you see what I sea: Avast Versace, you constant muse. As any landlubber will have spotted, under the sea is in. Think shells and mermaids, sea-weed and reefs - easy to pick up on 50s and 60s dresses [as this sea-bird number above demonstrates] The trick? Channeling 'Ariel' and never 'Auld Gregg' [Disney via Noel Fielding] Boot of Baileys sold separately.

Melissa-Joan <3: Clarissa at one end, Sabrina at the other - Melissa Joan Hart provides the proverbial book-ends to a decade that's back in action.  Noughties to nineties - who would've thought it? Sabrina-worthy velvet, rucksacks and peter-pan collars [A/W] now fade into pastels, tie-die and Clarissa-worthy print. Go easy on the dungarees and accessorize with an annoying younger sibling and presto, you've nailed the trend.

Fearne Cotton, Harry Potter, Blake Lively & Whoopi Goldberg -  now there's a come-dine-with me that we'd like to see! Unifying this motley crew of fictitious wizards and nuns on the run is a penchant for the circular. Perfect for working that Lennon-look, we predict big things for sunnies which measure 360 degrees. Not sure? Draw some on! You'll be left looking hippy-chic in a jiffy [just never leave the house.]

And there we have it folks - more pouring over our crystal ball as the season ticks on! 

xVVx out

www.judysvintagefair.co.uk

Lowe and behold!

Things can turn up in the strangest of places - that much we know is true. Now, we're not simply talking about the ordinary - car keys inexplicably in the fridge, bank cards lost in a plethora of 'safe places' [safe after a gin or two, clueless in the morning - note to self: STOP HIDING THINGS!] - but that which is extraordinary.

Such a thing happened at Bath yesterday afternoon. Our first event in the city, our expectations were high, despite being a little in the dark [literally - the clocks went back - and metaphorically. As with all new events, it would be cocky not to be a little on edge.] Safe to say, dear readers, that Bath was a hit. But in the midst of the shoppers, nobody could preempt the presence of a certain word that sends judders down every Heat-lovers spine [the magazine, not the temperature - is it possible to be a fan of warmth?? Debate!] 'Celebrity' was the word, a four-syllable glitter-ball that causes most to squeel like piggies.

Not even a month since our last brush with the stars [Chloe Sevigny - Liverpool circa October 2011] designer, icon and mother to one of the most smoldering creatures on the earth, Pearl Lowe came for a jolly [pictured with Fair Manager Kirstie who is in her 'marking-up' outfit, just so you know.]

A lady steeped in infamy, Pearl was a doll! Having a bit of retail r n' r, one wonders if she was seeking inspiration for her next capsule collection for store Peacocks? From what we saw on the front row of her summertime catwalk show [click here for details] our money's on yes.

And there we have it - another brush with stardom. 'Who will be next?' we hear you scream. We just couldn't call it. But if things go on at such a rapid rate, then we might have to start saving for a tangible 'hall of fame' before we know it [more of an alcove at the minute - hello extension!]

xVVx

www.judysvintagefair.co.uk

Chloë Sevigny: Big Love

Yes folks. We had the same Tom-and-Jerry-eye-popping-from-their-sockets sensation when we gazed across Aintree Racecourse to see a certain someone, shopping through our rails. Knee-deep in discount vintage, American Psycho star and design muse Chloë Sevigny popped by to say hello. 'Hi Chloe,' we would've said, if the words had left our mouths. Still, better to say nothing than blurt-out a love proclamation and a possible invitation to marriage [or at least BFF.] Note to self: get.cooler.quickly.

Finally finding our syllables, Chloë was lovely, indulging in a shop because...well, why not? Making our Fair Manager's year [look at that face - we know pure, unadulterated fashion-y glee when we see it] she joins our hall of fame with Jade Jagger, Daisy Lowe and Florence Welch to name but a few. Who's next - we couldn't call it! For now, we are sated. Chloë, we <3 you!

xVVx

www.judysvintagefair.co.uk

Leeds: Shaking it up like a Bombay Mix

To say that we're supposed to take inspiration from seasoning this season [one imagines the conversations now - 'excuse me mr. vintage trader, do these blouses come in masala? I wanted to wear it with a saffron jean but i'm worried it might 'tikka' it too far....'] then Leeds was one 'spicy meat-a-ball. [excuse the slightly stereotypical Italian accent here - it's the seasoning,it's gone too our heads]

Whether you're into it or not, our Leeds Corn Exchange shoppers were shaking it up like a Bombay mix. Take a look below....

Prints, brights,gothic chic - a smorgasbord of choice on offer when considering your winter looks [all of which can be found at our fairs in london and brighton this weekend] Whatever your angle, the days of a demure cold season are a terra-gonner.

xVVx

www.vintagefair.co.uk

Trend Alert: Morticia-Chic

All hands on deck, we've recruited our new Judy's assistant into a bit of Joe-blogging this week, as we begin our forray into the A/W trends. Turning to the dark side, our Iz shows you the Siouxsie-Sioux and don'ts of working this season's gothic trends....

"Say hello to purple lips, smokey eyes and the gothic darling...get ready to paint it black.

Despite colorful bursts of mustard, red and blue, the dark side reigns supreme this season; fetish remains mainstream and black lace at Lanvin demonstrate how many designers are delving into the mysterious craze of GOTH.

With a little goth in all of us, why not embrace Autumn to experiment, turning to vintage to get authentic punk and gothic looks [after all, faded is the way forward!]

The return of the cold weather has allowed layering to re-enter our outfits, allowing an even greater way to show-off your wardrobe!! Layer faded leather with inky velvets and some shiny PVC then, if it’s extra chilly, get some 80’s mohair in there to boot. On warmer days, mix sheer fabrics and lace, mixing up your textiles but not your colours to channel the single-pallette trend.

But what of footwear? Think back a season to Prada creepers! When hunting for creepers, keep your peepers open for vintage - they're much more affordable. Go for the triple soles - bigger is better when going for goth.

Think bold, think big think... Robert Smith! We want studded leather. We want ripped fishnets. We want sky-high platforms with hair-dos to match! Do all this and you'l be the chicest fashionista in the shade!"

There we have it folks - the 411 on Morticia-chic. For anyone in Leeds this weekend, Izzy [featured below - bear not to scale] will be out and about papping our free vintage weekender - don't be afraid to say hello!

xVVx & Izzy, the Vintage Warrior

www.vintagefair.co.uk

Purple reign, Purple reign...

Cyclical in nature, fashion has a habit of bringing things back into the limelight - sheer skirts, bell-bottoms, big hats - there are trends that orbit into our wardrobes every ten seasons or so [often eclipsing our fashion sense in the process] That said, there are some items that refuse to spirograph in and out of our lives, some icons that will never be anything but 'du jour.' In this vintage industry that we call home, nothng is more alluring than staying-power and today we give you the poster boy of staying-put - Prince!

Headlining Hop Farm last Sunday, the media is abuzz with stories of the artist more limber than an early Shakira video. His rapport with fashion and popular culture as poignant as ever [white jumpsuit - hello Michael Kors A/W 11] it's hard to believe that he's 53. The reliability and eccentricity of an LBD meets a 'Raspberry Beret,' Prince, like our vintage, gets better with age.

In other slightly tenuous fashion-meets-fame news, guess who we spotted at our Cumbria vintage fair...

Perplexed and pointing his finger at the goodies waiting on the rails, it was safe to say this this gent [be he Bono or wanna-Bono] "still hadn't found what he was looking for." Luckily, the vintage fair team were on hand to help, admiring his use of the Judy's colours in the meantime. His belt reads 'Rockstar' and those hips don't lie.

Ciao for now

xVVx

www.vintagefair.co.uk