Eager shoppers hoping to nab a gem flooded a new vintage and retro charity shop in Summertown on Monday.
The pop-up shop, run by children’s hospice Helen & Douglas House, is located next door to its existing charity shop on Banbury Road. It was opened on Monday by Oxford Lord Mayor Elise Benjamin, who cut a ribbon at the shop door before dozens of excited bargain hunters flooded in. Frank Underwood from Oxford musical duo Austentation provided a musical backdrop with his guitar while people shopped.
Cllr Benjamin said: “I think the shop is fantastic. I started buying secondhand clothes in the early 80s. A lot of older clothes are very well made. This shop is a lovely way of introducing people into the excitement of shopping at a secondhand shop.”
Hayley Owen, 20, a student from Didcot studying Fashion Promotion at Southampton Solent University, spent her Christmas holiday sorting through donations at the hospice’s warehouse to pick out vintage stock for the new shop. She said: “I went through all of the vintage clothes and picked out things that are on-trend. We have all sorts of vintage clothes, 1960s, vintage designer pieces, Louis Vuitton, vintage Burbury dresses. Nothing is over £30 except for old vintage wedding dresses.”
It is hoped that the racks of quality older clothes will attract a new generation of shoppers. David Cryer, head of retail at Helen & Douglas House, said: “One of the great things about having a vintage shop is that we are attracting a different age profile who will be more inclined to get involved in what we are about than they would through more traditional charity shops. We are trying to appeal to a younger demographic of customers, stock donators and potential volunteers.”
As well as clothing, the shop sells vintage furniture, accessories, paintings and retro books and toys. Money raised from sales goes towards the £5.4m annual running costs incurred by the specialist children's hospice.
Debbie Alexander, the charity's area retail manager, said: “There has been a resurgence in the popularity of vintage recently. A lot of that is down to people not necessarily being dictated to about what they wear, it’s pretty much anything goes. You can chose what style you dress and be creative with it. People are free to mix and match and make their own style.”
Willow Sainsbury, 30, an illustrator from Marston, who attended the shop’s opening, said: “I am 22 weeks pregnant right now but am buying clothes for four months time. That shows how passionate I am. I think the whole energy of everyone here is really good. The stock is great, I’ve seen people walking out with suitcases, they have been going really well, and the linen has nearly all gone.
"The décor of the store is really beautiful. I usually ask for vintage clothes in the other shops and once got a vintage Jaeger dress which is my absolute favourite. They’ve got a really good selection here.”
