: The heart of the Manhattan's Fashion Center district came alive
over the weekend of February 20-22 as the Seventh New York
Vintage Fashion and Antique Textile Show and Sale took place. The
show, conducted in the spacious lobbies of the New Yorker Hotel
and meandering through several adjoining conference rooms,
transformed the bustling center into a center of style that was
bursting with color.
The event, now in only its third year (seventh show), attracts
dealers and buyers from all around the country. A sure mark of
the importance of an event can be measured in the distances
dealers are willing to travel to offer their wares. This show had
numerous dealers from not only up and down the East Coast, but
also from up and down the West Coast spanning from the shores of
fashion conscious Oakland, Calif., to probably not so fashion
conscious Portland, Ore.
"This is the hottest shopping experience in town for designers,
stylists and any man or woman who wants to pick up the best
vintage and antique men's and women's apparel," boasts the show's
creator, Shelia Fenney. At $20 a head for admission, this show
ranks pricewise right up there with the best of them, and while
it certainly is not of Winter Show caliber, the clientele never
(or rarely) bats an eye. A huge crowd was on hand for the opening
of the show with a special line for those that had prepaid for
their tickets via the Internet. Shoppers at the opening ranged
from young and fashionable girls looking to spice up their
wardrobe, to the fashion conscious chic businesswoman, to
designers.
Many of the dealers we spoke with just an hour after the Friday
opening were already reporting hefty sales and all were
optimistic with heavy weekend crowds still to come.
Vintage furs were attracting quite a bit of attention in the
booth of Torso Vintages, Portland, Ore. The dealers commented
that this was their first selling opportunity in Manhattan and
they jumped at the chance to do Fenney's show. "We packed
everything up in boxes and UPS'd it all out here," stated dealer
John Hadeed. Numerous fur coats, handbags, hats and an assortment
of other items were displayed in jaguar, ocelot and leopard, and
they were attracting serious attention. The dealer also offered
an original Rita Hayward-owned ballroom gown by designer to the
stars Omar Kiam. The dress, from the 1940s, was a strapless model
in a paper silk, encrusted in jewels and beads. Several Adrian
pieces were also offered by the dealer including a 1957 dress,
"from his last set," that was made from more than eight yards of
ponfrond print material. A pencil skirt and matching jacket, a
trademark Adrian design with a military-type fit, was also
offered.
New Hampshire dealer Carolyn Forbes offered a variety of
materials ranging from Seventeenth Century bonnets with metal and
silvered sequined threading to a Twentieth Century bridal
trousseau of Charmeuse and lace. "I like to focus on ethnic
textiles of the Nineteenth Century," stated the dealer, pointing
out Middle Eastern shawls and African blankets and clothing in
her booth.
Vintage Apparel, Oakland, Calif.
Just across the room from the traditional lace clad manikins
seen in Forbe's booth was King's Arms who offered the cutting edge
of 60s designer clothing with an emphasis placed on dresses and
blouses by Emilio Pucci. A snug fitting piece occupied one corner
of the booth, while the other side featured a blouse/dress in
blazing pinks, blacks and whites that swirled with the "bold and
colorful" (psychedelic) look so prevalent 40 years ago. The
Manhattan dealer also offered up a classic Hermes vintage horse
blanket in green with white banding and a selection of Gucci pieces
ranging from handbags to riding crops.
Men's and women's footwear from the 30s to the 50s were featured
in the booth of Vintage Apparel, Oakland, Calif., with the dealer
commenting that the majority of the pieces he offers are unique
custom-made shoes. One such pair, armadillo men's classics from
1948, had customers hovering. The dealer also displayed a
selection of ladies alligator "springalators" from the 50s and a
wide range of 50s men's spectators. Prices ranged from a low of
$250 per pair to more than $800.
Joe Sundlie's Vintedge, New York City, offered a racy assortment
including a Victoria Grey 1950s lace top in sheer black with
cascading tails that carried a price tag of $650.
Mary McFadden displayed a selection of pleated chintz dresses
from the 50s, along with a huge selection vintage handbags by
makers known, such as Yves St Laurent, to makers unknown that
produced the wide variety of ever-popular beaded bags. One such
model, a black beaded cameo bag from the 50s, was a star
attraction, while other models from the 30s were also highly
sought after.
A wide variety of couture materials were offered by Monica's
Vintage Fashions including a collection from the Esther Maria
Chapin estate, the great-granddaughter of George Washington's
sister. Monica Saggos, proprietor of Monica's, has the
distinction of consigning a dress from this collection to Doyle's
that established the world record price paid at auction of
$101,500. Among the offerings this time around was Chapin's
wedding dress, circa 1890, a 40s wool baseball uniform, bodices
and a rare ethnic men's Moroccan costume with baggy pants, shawl
and turban. One of the more unusual items that crossed the
boundary from clothing into art was a 40s vintage robe in white
with red stripes that was about as diminutive as a robe could be
made for a 6-month-old girl.
Torso Vintages, Portland, Ore.
Lisa Mainz and Eris Katz offered up a huge assortment of new
old stock (NOS) dress clips from the 20s to the 40s. While unusual
in itself to find these items in unused condition and still on the
original display cards, the story behind them was even quirkier as
the Bakelite, tortoise shell, glass and sequined pieces had once
been the inventory of her grandfather's shop in Johannesburg, South
Africa. The dealer even had a poster sized photograph of her
grandfather in the store with many of the NOS items visible. Prices
ranged from $60 to $95 per clip.
Linda Reinhardt of It's a Girl Thing, Merrick, N.Y., offered a
selection of clothing ranging from pouffe dresses, such as the
60s Arkay pink party dress with white sash that was more than
likely a prom queens dream come true, to a yellow hat emblazoned
with red letters "64 Freshman" fresh from the good old days when
hazing was a normal and condonable activity.
The next show will take place in October.
