April 14 and 15 saw the seventh Vintage show presented by Cord Shows Ltd, hitting a nice milestone, according to show promoter Vivien Cord. The big space of the Police Activities League building was absolutely packed with a treasure trove of style offered by 22 dealers from New Jersey, South Carolina, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island, who had plenty of creative space.
The early buying at 8:30 on Saturday brought just enough people to make the dealers happy and just few enough for those attending to feel like they could relax and enjoy the shopping.
On Sunday, Cord Shows extended an invitation to high school and college students to attend for free and about 40 students had a blast. Most came with mothers in tow and all agreed to tell their friends for next year. Fifteen-year-old Emily Azzarito of New Canaan, Conn., found the perfect dress once worn on the red carpet. The students were asked to fill out questionnaires and leave their email addresses for future contact, and Cord and Ed McClure predict that the student attendance could triple by next year. “The hardest part was figuring out how to reach students, but Facebook was a help, as was using a student to tweet the show information,” said Cord.
High-end jewelry did particularly well. A retail sale of an 18K gold Gucci bracelet for almost $8,000 made one dealer happy. The sale of a collection of gauze dresses added to a successful show for Debbie Pezzullo. Elyse Alfandre sold an amazing Victorian wedding dress to customer Gwen Ackley, who shops for vintage to wear at antique auto shows. Barry Branconnier (Axiom), Charlestown, R.I., offered vintage eye frames, which he was able to complete with prescription lenses. He said he was very happy with sales.
The show saw several big buyers. One shopped for her vintage store, one shopped for a retail chain, and one shopped for vintage clothing for a television show. Seems that spring is the perfect time for such an event, with wedding and prom attire in demand. There were beautiful Victorian dresses on display, along with great stylish clothing from the 1980s. Cord herself reported buying a vintage Chico jacket from Sheryl Muzzillo on Saturday and happily wore it on Sunday.
Next year, the show will be conducted on April 6 and 7. For information, 914-273-4667 or www.CordShows.com .
