Arkive Vintage Celebrates 10 Years! We've Come A Long Way Baby...
So, in honour of our milestone and International Women's Day here's a lil' Q&A with Arkive Vintage's matriarch Angie, Huzzah!
Credit: Angie
Q. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background in vintage fashion?
A. I grew up in Brisbane and the Gold Coast and ended up in fashion retail whilst at university. After graduating I was a Visual Merchandising Manager for a national chain and then Marketing Manager in fashion retail. I used to have a side hustle with a permanent weekend stall at Carrara markets with my partner at the time, selling vintage clothing and used to style several bands on the coast in the late 90s. I guess that was the first commercial foray into the vintage scene.I moved to London in 2002 and after working for one of the major banks and finding it incredibly soul destroying, I took a job with the UK’s largest vintage clothing company, Rokit London, as Regional Manager. It’s here where I really developed a knowledge and understanding of the history of fashion and the operational side of the vintage trade. I was with Rokit for over 10 years and forged some lifelong friendships and was fortunate enough to meet some incredibly talented and creative people, including many famous.
Credit: Arkive Vintage - Photoshoot Behind The Scenes
Q. What inspires you the most?
A. Authenticity, good design, nature kindness, and knowing that there is always more to learn.
Q. What made you decide to open a vintage fashion store? What was your aim?
A. We (my ex-husband and I) made the decision casually over lunch whilst sitting in Piazza della Signoria in Florence that we would return to my homeland of Australia and open a vintage store. A couple of years later, and we had opened the first Arkive Vintage store in Surfers Paradise. The aim was to do what we loved and were passionate about and hopefully create a community around the brand.
Credit: Arkive Vintage's first store in Surfers Paradise
Q. Is there a particular era Arkive Vintage specialises in?
A. Arkive Vintage stocks men’s and ladies vintage pieces from the 1950’s - early 2000’s. We currently have a focus on 90’s and early 2000’s streetwear and also lots of late 1960’s and 1970’s pieces, with that period currently internationally trending.
Credit: Arkive Vintage
Q. Where does Arkive Vintage source it’s pieces from?
A. Arkive Vintage sources its pieces from various continents… mostly North America and Northern Europe, which can be noticed by the international branding and sizes that you may see on our garments. Unfortunately Australia, being such a young nation without a history of industry like the US for example, doesn’t have an established network or supply for Australian branded, used clothing.Credit: Arkive Vintage
Q. Can you tell us about your journey building Arkive Vintage? What have been some of the biggest challenges or hurdles you’ve had to overcome and what has changed since opening your first store?
A. Starting any business from scratch is difficult, there’s so much logistically that is required to get set up & so much that goes on behind the scenes to just keep the cogs turning, that the average person doesn’t see. I’m sure any business owner out there knows this well. The stress that comes from the unpredictability of sales and things that sometimes can be out of your control... Since that first store in Surfers Paradise, we then opened our online store WWW.ARKIVEVINTAGE.COM, Westfield Chermside, Brisbane CBD and then Westfield Garden City.
Credit: Arkive Vintage
Q. What have been some of the highlights?
A. We are about to celebrate 10 years of Arkive Vintage on the 12th March! That is definitely without a doubt my biggest highlight thus far! It’s certainly been a journey and to achieve such a milestone is something that I am very proud of. Starting the A/New range (Arkive’s upcycled in-house, small batch brand) has been something I’m proud of. Also, working with such an amazing team has definitely been a highlight… I’m blessed to be surrounded by a team of dedicated, creative and kind people.
Credit: Arkive Vintage
Q. What is your personal style?
A. I love the 80s and the 70s so much of my wardrobe is made up of pieces from these decades - bold printed t-shirts, pattern clashes, block colours and androgynous pieces. I do have a penchant for 90s streetwear also, so I’ll often mash up a sweat or hoodie with a flowing skirt and trainers.
Credit: Arkive Vintage
Q. What is your go to look for a day/night out?
A. It really depends what mood I’m in … I love a blazer and how it can elevate any outfit, I have several.. my favourite is a lime green vintage 80's one and I’ll often throw that over a bodysuit and jeans with either some high tops or block heeled boots. If I’m feeling jooshy, my evening go-to is a pencil skirt and silky blouse with heels.
Credit: Arkive Vintage
Q. Who are you favourite vintage designers?
A. I love Elsa Schiaparelli’s work… a beautiful dichotomas mix of elegance and outrageous frivolity. Also Vivienne Westwood, who I came to learn and love during my time in London for not only her designs and punk aesthetic, but also her core values around sustainability.
Q. Why do you believe consumers should purchase vintage clothing?
A. Rather than purchasing the cookie-cutter repetition that is found on the high street, wearing vintage - from an aesthetic perspective - promotes self expression and showcases your individuality through your own unique sense of style. Vintage clothing was made to last - the threads, fabrics, buttons and embellishments are of far superior quality compared to what is found in today’s fast fashion offerings. And they will last for many more years to come, particularly if looked after could even be passed down to the next gen! Also, by buying vintage you are supporting the circular economy and doing your part in helping minimising waste and limiting the resources that we take out of this big, beautiful planet we live on.
Credit: Rob Vallender - Arkive Vintage Fashion Show