Dressed in a floor-length fur coat, towering 40s fascinator and exquisite leather gloves, Savitri Coleman does not fit the traditional image of a market stall holder. But Coleman is the brains behind one of the most successful vintage clothing ventures in London, which is fast establishing itself as a definitive Mecca for one-of-a-kind fashion.
Coleman, 41, set up Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair in 2009. The fair now runs bi-monthly at the Urdang, Roseberry Avenue, and showcases more than 50 traders from across the UK and Europe, all peddling high quality vintage ware.
“I can’t believe it’s the third year,” she sighs. “It still feels like something I thought of a few months ago, and now it’s taken off. I’m a strong believer that anything you feel very passionate about is going to rub off eventually on others.”
And she certainly feels passionate about it. Vintage is not just a business for Coleman, it is a way of life.
“Recycling, re-loving things, is a better way to live,” she says. She hasn’t bought anything from the high street for three years now, and her perfectly-painted lip curls when she describes the “throwaway mentality” that cheap clothing has created. She doesn’t see herself as a campaigner exactly- “I don’t believe in trying to force people into things.” To her, the fair is more than just a market; it is a temple to a superior lifestyle.
“It’s not just somewhere you come and buy clothes; it’s an experience, an inspiration,” she explains. To this end, the market features master-classes in period hair, make-up and alterations, plus a retro tea room with live music that evokes a bygone era.
Coleman’s love affair with vintage began when, growing up without much money in Richmond, she would spend the weekends scouring car boot sales and charity shops with her parents. “I’ve been raised on second hand clothes. If something fell apart we were taught to darn it, to mend it; not just to throw things away,” she says. As a teenage Goth in the 80s she would hang out at the Great Gear Market on the Kings Road and Kensington Market, searching for unique treasures. She can’t get her head around the lure of the “high street scene”.
“There’s something special about the feel of a vintage garment. Like there’s something about the person who had it before left behind. Maybe the spirit of that person is still in that handbag, or that coat. I love that; the story behind something. I think everything is living and breathing.”
After a speech like that, it’s unsurprising to find that Coleman initially trained as an artist. She then fell into make-up artistry, and spent a 17 year career travelling the world to work on films, music videos and fashion shows. All the time she was trading vintage; “I would work on a film for three or four months and accumulate a massive wardrobe of vintage, then I’d stall out at Portobello or Camden and get rid of it all. Then off again on another film to collect more!” She met her partner, Paulo, on the trading circuit, as well as many of the stall holders who love her fair so much now.
Coleman believes an understanding of what it is like to be a trader is the secret to her success. For all of her flourish, she is clearly a steely businesswoman. She pulled off a clever trick undercutting the other markets by charging traders less for bigger stalls, with the result that they lower the prices on their wares and attract a more diverse range of customers. Now the fair attracts as many as 1,000 shoppers each time, including international designers, art directors and famous faces such as Anna Friel.
“I think I’m just a better organiser than seller,” smiles Coleman modestly.
We get up to leave, and my necklace catches Coleman’s eye. “I love that, so cute!” she coos. “Where did you find it?” It’s just Accessorize, I reply. “Well,” she says, disappointed. “It looks almost vintage.” High praise indeed.
The next Clerkenwell Vintage Fair is on Sunday March 13 and runs from 11am-4pm.
Admission £4.
Interested in vintage? Look no further than your own borough…
My Sugarland
402 – 404 St Johns Street EC1V 4NJ
Staffed by a team of stylists, the Angel boutique offers an immaculately displayed selection of vintage and modern designer pieces, plus a wedding section to elope for.
Cloud Cuckoo Land
6 Charlton Place N1 8AJ
Specialising in 1940s to 1950s day and evening wear – from full-skirted dresses, to fur stoles and driving gloves. There’s also a decent selection of cashmere knitwear and silk lingerie.
21st Century Retro
162 Holloway Rd, N7 8DQ
The black-painted Aladdin’s cave has been Holloway Road’s best kept secret for 17 years, stocking reasonably priced vintage and retro from the 1940s to 1990s.
Fat Faced Cat Vintage
22-24 Camden Passage, N1 8ED
The Camden Passage favourite moved into its new premises last year with even more men’s, women’s and home wear from the 1900s to 1980s. Look out for the special Los Angeles imports.
