Within days of turning 20 I made the choice to relocate to London from my native Australia. The goal was to find myself, see the world and hopefully bag a prince.
Though my dream of becoming royalty did not come to fruition, my time in London fundamentally changed the direction of my life. The truth is I fell in love with the city, its diverse fashion market and a man who taught me the importance of carving out your own path in this life. The depths of these lessons grow with each passing year and I am thankful to my 20-year-old self for jumping on that plane all alone all those years ago.
Without London calling me, there would have been no relocation to Canada, South Korea, Ireland, or Dubai in the years that followed. Without London there would have been no exploration of my style, my identity or self-expression. Without London I would not have pursued a career in fashion. Without London I would not have grown to appreciate sustainability and more specifically the vintage fashion market.
My time in the UK was an education and one I was unknowingly in desperate need of. Perhaps in recognising that I needed help with my style, I remember my colleague Stuart inviting me to the iconic Camden Markets. As we perused the stalls my love for vintage was born and I never looked back. Enveloped by the charm of everything preloved and repurposed, Stuart’s guidance is as clear in my mind today as it was back in 2005, “with clothes you can be anything you want. Don’t be afraid.”
Dear Stuart, wherever you are … thank you.
Though I did not know it at the time, the seed was planted on that day in September to start my own vintage boutique years later. At the end of 2020, The UnCommons Vintage was born with a vision to curate and rehome designer vintage staples. Defined by timelessness, consciousness, and resourcefulness, I want exquisite pieces to have an everlasting life in the closets of women looking for access to something special.
My love of sustainable fashion undoubtedly fuels The UnCommons Vintage, but we have to be honest when it comes to the limitations facing the sustainable fashion market. The primary reason consumers are unlikely to embrace sustainable fashion is due to the higher price tags, made even more difficult to afford in a world rocked by the economic implications of COVID. Therefore, the logical solution is to encourage people to shop vintage, second hand or preloved. Not only does this reduce the number of clothes destined for landfills when they have more life in them, but the sourcing of vintage clothes commonly supports charities. The vintage market gives new meaning to the term circular economy.
I want women to feel beautiful and confident in the clothes that they wear. When curating the collections for TheUnComons, the very first question I ask myself is will my customer feel good about themselves in this? I want women to make wise shopping decisions so that they avoid debt and find financial independence. All the pieces sourced for The UnCommons are curated to be timeless staples, forming the foundations of an interchangeable closet. Most importantly I want to contribute to a sustainable future so the generations after me have the opportunity to explore this big wide world as I did at twenty.