Beautiful things can be found at our online store. Here are just a few of them.

TALK TO US:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Feedback from a lovely customer

A lovely customer was nice enough to send photos and feedback about the first of a range of dresses designed by me!

Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments Jacqui!

I can't tell you how much I love the dress, really am so pleased with it! Normally I'm not much of a dress person but fits perfectly and the fabric is so nice on the body. I think it really is a great everyday garment that works for so many body shapes and the zip shoulder gives it that bit of extra edge, and I got so many compliments on it today! 

TALK TO US:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

Vintage Gardens & urban farms

This week on the Bleecker Street blog it's visuals of vintage gardens and urban farms. Sustainable gardening gets the creative juices flowing and makes mother nature happy. Vintage ceramic jugs and pots mixed with wooden crates add character to a garden. Why not get a bunch of like minded friends together to hunt for vintage pieces, work on each others gardens, then end the day with an afternoon tea? 

#switchoffthatgardeningshowanddoityourself

Even houses close to the city can become an urban farm.

#urbanfarmlove

Children love gazing at discarded birds nests 

Vintage wheelbarrows picked up from vintage stores or garage sales can be used to grow herbs or leafy greens. #nosnails #deliciousgardens

 

TALK TO US:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

Photo shoot at South Melbourne Market

This photo is one of my favourites.

Matt, who works at Bakerlite at South Melbourne Market told me a few weeks back that he moonlights as a photographer and wanted to do a shoot using my vintage dresses and the vintage style bicycles at Bakerlite. Having a love for photography myself I couldn't say no, but this time I let Matt take the photos whilst I watched him in action.

Harriet & stylist Chris, who was also happy to be in the photo (unlike me!).

To help with the shoot Harriet, who is Matt's girlfriend and has been a model was the model for the day, whilst Chris, who is a stylist and friend of Matt & Harriet's choose dresses and accessories for the shoot.

I haven't worked out how or where I'm going to use the photos yet. So if anyone has any suggestions, let me know on the comments below or leave a message on the Bleecker Street Facebook Page. And finally, if anyone would like to get in touch with either Matt or Chris then head to Bakerlite at SO:ME Space, South Melbourne Market & have a chat to Matt.

Author: Jason Cormick (Bleecker Street Vintage)

TALK TO US:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

Catherine's vintage birthday gathering.

During my New Year vacation, my dear friend Catherine had a long overdue birthday party! Catherine had always talked to me about wanting to have a small gathering to celebrate her birthday, but never seemed to be able to have the time, due to running her own high end vintage business and having a young family. Honestly, I don't know how she does it, but I admire her juggling skills!

Dips with pan fried haloumi and chorizo. YUM!

I always end up eating too much of this cake! So good, so evil!

Animal friends

Like me, Catherine has a love for cooking wholesome food, so she spent a few days before her birthday grocery shopping at local markets and cooking up a storm in her kitchen. 

The Pan fried haloumi & chorizo went down a treat with the dips that accompanied them and I could have eaten another slice of the hazelnut tote if I had the room in my stomach!

Little friends

Tall friends

Catherine's homemade 100% fruit icy poles!

 In addition to the feast Catherine created, she also spent many hours restoring a beautiful vintage sign to use as a back drop for the table. You can see it in the background of this photo.  

I think the moral of this post is whilst buying pre prepared food is quick & convenient and decorated papers from a party store makes things easier, nothing is more satisfying than creating your own version of soul food and decorating your party with your own ideas to make your personality shine through it.

TALK TO US:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

New Zealand Vacation

I've been a bit lazy recently with blog posts. (oops!) I like to blame it on the lead up to Christmas along with the brief Christmas break I took.

Late November 2013 my partner Andrew & myself did quick tour of the South Island of New Zealand. We flew in & out of Christchurch, which I think was a bit of mistake since there was so much to see! Next time I'd like to try flying out of another city so I can see more.

Did a 27km bike ride with 100kph headwinds! #neverrideinextremewind

It was my first trip to New Zealand, so I was really excited and had been romanticising about jagged snow capped mountain peaks and seeing lots of sheep!

One Expresso in Christchurch. Note: Check out the entrance to the bathrooms!

I loved all parts of New Zealand. What I liked in particular was the fair trade movement and the pop up art scene in Christchurch.  Apparently, Christchurch has always had a big art scene, but somehow I though it was even more valued now, as it was being used a tool of healing for the people of Christchurch and the earthquake victims.

Communal Vegetable patch in the centre of Christchurch.

Make use of vintage to create beauty

It's a beautiful thing when people come together in times of need. Even though the people of Christchurch have been through a lot, there is a lot of positive energy there with great ideas of how to rebuild Christchurch again in the best possible way. I get the feeling though that there are so many ideas they just don't know where to begin!

Making use of found objects to create beauty & curiosity

So till then, I hope the city of Christchurch keeps the spirit of making art in vacant spaces.

Author: Jason Cormick (Bleecker Street Vintage)
TALK TO US:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

Goals for the new year

The major goals for last year at Bleecker Street Vintage, were the following.

Increase the home wares range.  TICK!

Home wares were popular! The kantha quilts sold like hotcakes last winter and our mugs & pillows are proving themselves too. For winter 2014, I'm planning on having a larger range of quilts as many people missed out.

Introduce men's clothing.   TICK!

Men's shirts started off slow, but now guys know the shirts are here, so there are lots of regulars coming in to make a purchase. I'd like to continue men's shirts, but I'm not sure where they'll fit in 2014 (see 2014 goals)

Begin selling my own range of women's clothes. CROSS!

Making a range of clothes to sell is a challenge! Making each pattern & getting it right took a lot of time and a lot of tears! Finding the right manufacture who could do a very small quantity was hard! Retail price was also important 
as while locally & ethically made products are great, customers consider price before anything else and who can blame them for that. So, in short it didn't happen. But in 2014 it will! Yay for that!


2014 Goals

To be honest, I only have one goal this year and that is to continue developing my women's range. In keeping with honesty, one style is already in the store which arrived yesterday. I don't even have any photos to show you yet, but I'm aiming to have something by the end of next week. I hope to have more styles throughout the year and will post updates on the blog and social media sites.






TALK TO US:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

Happy New Year & Thanks 2013!

Happy New Year everyone, I hope 2014 will be a healthy & fun adventure for everyone! 

I'd like to thank the following people for helping me out in 2013 in my business:

Customers:  Without your support, I could not have my store. It really makes me happy to have so many regular customers, some who even come from Brisbane and others who bring their friends. 

My Partner Andrew: Without your support, this business would not be where it is today. You have always listened to me and offered guidance when I have needed it. I love that you trust my decisions.

Anne, my pattern making teacher & mentor at Designer Stitch. You have helped me regain my pattern making confidence turn put my ideas into frocks (Even though they are not in my store yet. That's another blog post).  I always look forward to coming to your classes.

Staff: Being my Mum, and friends Clio & Bec. Thanks so much for helping me out when I was doing fairs interstate, needed to spend time with family and running the store when I was on vacation in November 2013. You all did an amazing job. And thanks Hiba for taking over the booking keeping & putting it in order. Sophie; you also did a great job in giving me guidance in social media. Now I just need to keep it up!

And lastly, I need to thank myself for putting in all the work, not giving up even when it got tough and keeping the drive & motivation which is necessary for business. I know I'll be able to make this business work if I continue to put the hours in.

Thanks again 2013. xoxo


TALK TO US:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

From pattern to dress

This post is about creating a dress design from concept to sample.  I'm sure there are many ways of doing it, but this is the way I put down my ideas and create. Please also note, while the pattern and initial sample is my own, I utilise a small team to assist me in perfecting my ideas.

The concepts starts from an idea which I put down on paper with design line details and notes about the design. You'll notice on the sketch I have drawn a broken line down the middle of the dress to help me out with proportion. The sketch also included pockets, however the final sample did not have them.

Dress sample 1.

The above photo is the first sample. You'll notice there are no sleeves. I add these later as I like to get the design lines correct first before I begin sleeves. I used scrap fabric which is a bit naughty as apparently its best to use fabric the final design will be made from. The reason behind this is because fabric will fall differently depending on what it is. For example, if jersey was used the pleats would appear much neater than what the look in the photo above and there would not be as much flare.

When the sample is placed on the mannequin it is time to critique. If you look close, you notice the pleats were not straight enough in this sample, the neckline was too high plus the darts needed to be changed. I was happy with the length and armhole.

Dress sample two with sleeve.

In the photo above, the sample has improved. The darts were moved into the first pleat and effort has been made to sew them all straight. (it took ages and a lot of fabric marker!) However the neckline still  needs work.

Close up of dress sample two.

Final dress sample picture one.

Final dress sample picture two.

Here is the final sample, which has been made from linen and would be the fabric of choice for production. It now has sleeves, bias tape on the neckline and the hem has been sewn. The dress is very flattening. If I had someone who could model it for me I would, but for now you'll have to use your imagination.

I don't know how long the whole process has taken me, but I would say at least 20 hours of work  has gone into this dress sample. After making this dress sample I have decided it will not go into production. 

I hope this has been a good insight into my design process.

Off the Beaten Rack - Josh

'Off The Beaten Rack' is a new BSV feature. We are your eyes and ears into the wardrobes of creatives. Where being a pervert is encouraged, as is staying in the closet. 

This post is all about Josh, who has the most spectacular collection of jackets we've ever seen in a man wardrobe.

Your vest is all blinged out. Did you add those details yourself?

Haha, I guess it is a little blinged out and yeah, I added them all myself. I went to a steam punk wedding a couple of years ago and it sparked an interest in accessories that won't stop.

We love a man in jewels, and we've noticed you wear a lot of necklaces and badges. Are these items part of your uniform? Where does the obsession stem from? 

In the early 90's, I was always wearing lots of chains, badges and rings, but for some reason I later shied away from them. In recent years though, I find myself again never leaving the house without a necklace (or two or three) and some sort of badge or bracelet. My particular favourites have natural materials like feathers, wood or crystals.

These boots have lived an interesting past life. Tell us about it.

I walked out of my friends store on Andersen St in Yarraville one Sunday and SHAZZAM looked down into the doorway of a closed opshop. They looked almost new. I snaffled them up and tried them on at home, only to find that just like Cinderella's they fit perfectly. I love these boots as they can be dressed up or down with ease. 

Tell us also about the US jacket? Sourced in Australia? Have you ever cleaned it?

I tell people that this jacket belonged to my New York Jewish grandmother in the early 80's... In truth I found this gem at Shag. It's warm, comfy and very me!

We know people hate sharing shopping secrets these days, but drop us a bone (two places that you regularly haunt.)

Truthfully, I am more than happy to share my secrets and so instead of two I'll share a few. Firstly, I have a soft spot for SO:ME space at South Melbourne Market, as there is something for everyone there - love love love Lo & Behold, Bleecker Street and Creatures Of Comfort [Ed: Bleecker St offered no bribes]. 

Secondly, you can't go past Savers (Footscray is my local). I always look in all the sections, including those that aren't my size, as sizes have changed over time. I always look in the women's section too as not only do women's clothes rule, but sometimes they put men's clothes in the women's section! 

Thirdly, stop and look in opshops in the outer suburbs and small country towns. There's undoubtedly a piece of vintage gold hiding there. 

Lastly, sign up to mailing lists of your favourite stores, labels and fashion websites - that way you will know when the sales are on.

Thanks Josh!

TALK TO US:

Facebook

Twitter
Pinterest

Instagram

Off The Beaten Rack - Alice

'Off The Beaten Rack' is a new BSV feature. We are your eyes and ears into the wardrobes of creatives.

This week - Alice!

Alice is part-time cafe barista & part-time artist/crafty person! With Alice's work covering most of the house in many different forms, I'm sure Alice is going to have a shop one day.

Talk to us about your go-to garment. The one you flame to in a store, knowing you own more than you could ever possibly need. Mine is sweaters. I could patchwork my sweaters and blanket Melbourne. 

Flared or wide leg pants. I have a range of colours prints and textures even velvet! They are so flattering and fun to wear I'm on the hunt for some tasseled ones at the moment! 

TELL US ABOUT THE SHOOOOOES. What made you choose each piece?

I have way too many shoes. I love boots, I'm normally wearing boots all year round! I only own about two pairs of sandals. I choose shoes/ boots that are edgy, so I have a lot of black. Boots with tassels, studs, buckles, chunky heels or wedges.

Your style in seven words?

Colourful and feminine with western and bohemian influences. I'm obsessed with lace, tassels and fur. 

 

You have a knack for headwear. Is this a self-taught art?

I guess so. After I cut all my hair off (and had a small meltdown before getting used to it), I felt like finding accessories to make myself feel more feminine. So I started wearing scarves as headbands and then I bought my first headband with flowers and have been on the hunt for all kinds ever since.  Often I have to make them because they are hard to find the way I want them.

Finally, that tiger is the MONEY. Does he have a name? Where can we get one? 

I love him I call him Terry. I found him at the Chapel Street Bazaar, and he's a one off I'm afraid (we think he's from the 20's). I also have Frank the fox stole (pictured above).

TALK TO US:

Facebook

Twitter
Pinterest

Instagram