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Partner Spotlight – Menage Modern Vintage

Written by Jenna Jones on . Posted in Fashion, Latest, Partner Blogs.

Love it or loathe it, our style choices say a lot about us. Think Steve Jobs and his distinctive all black attire or how a certain look determines every defining shift in Madonna’s musical career. What we wear creates an impact and how we shop for said wears, even more so.

So, as we start to understand the devastating impact of fast fashion on our planet and seek more sustainable avenues to satiate our sartorial needs, there was no better time to sit down with Chiara Menage, Founder of Menage Modern Vintage.

Read on for the story of how it all began, Chiara’s ultimate fashion era and her top tips on vintage shopping…

Could you start by telling us how Menage Modern Vintage was born?

I started my website, Menage Modern Vintage, in 2018. I had a wardrobe full of clothes that I had collected over the years, which I no longer wore. Some of them had real sentimental and collectable value and I wanted to find good homes for them, so someone else could enjoy them. When I started telling people about the project I discovered a lot of them felt the same way; you could say it has backfired on me – instead of emptying my own wardrobe I now have an inventory of literally thousands of clothes, shoes and accessories.

What is the best part of your job?

I have met a lot of interesting people doing the job; because it’s a small business I’ve been able to build personal relationships with my clients. I visit them at home and I’d say the moment when they open up their wardrobes is the most exciting part, you never know what treasures you’re going to find.

My previous career in the film industry has opened up another fun aspect of the job, which I didn’t predict at the outset: supplying costumes for the film industry. I sometimes get an early brief and they ask me to source special pieces, which I really enjoy. Clothes and costume can say so much about character, both on screen and off.

What does fashion mean to you? Has it always been a part of your DNA?

Actually, I have never been very interested in fashion as such. My mother made all my childhood clothes, which was a mixed blessing, but I did learn about quality of fabric and what goes into making a garment. I’m more interested in these aspects and I did inherit a love of clothes. The first thing I bought for myself was from Kensington Market, a mecca for all sorts of vintage clothes which I frequented a lot in the 1980s. It was a wonderful Victorian petticoat which I wore with a military belt and DMs. I’ve been buying vintage ever since.

It is becoming increasingly popular to source vintage and shop second-hand. What for you are the main reasons to opt for vintage over luxury/fast fashion?

Sustainability is the most important issue in today’s fashion industry. The sheer wastefulness of fast fashion and over-consumption; the disposability of cheaply manufactured goods, the injustices in the supply chain; the horrendous environmental damage during the production process and the eventual disposal of all those thousands of tonnes of discarded clothing into landfill. All good reasons to only ever buy second hand.

There are of course other great advantages. You can afford to buy much better quality when you buy second hand, even high end designer items become accessible. This in turn means the clothes last longer and keep their value. But most of all, it’s so much more enjoyable to discover something unexpected, rather than wandering aimlessly around the high street being sold stuff that everyone else is wearing.

If you could relive any era of fashion what one would it be and why?

I have a soft spot for the seventies, although there were some truly awful moments; the nineties was when I started buying for myself, Vivienne Westwood, Rifat Ozbek, John Galliano, other great designers when I could afford it. I worked in Great Portland Street, which was at the time a centre of the rag trade, they used to have brilliant sample sales. Sadly I didn’t know then what I know now and I gave so much of it away. I see some of the pieces at auction now and want to cry.

What advice would you give to someone foraying into vintage shopping for the first time?

Not everyone can pull off a head to toe vintage look. If you’re new to buying, choose a statement piece you love and wear it with dependable wardrobe staples. Buy from trusted sources – there are sellers who are jumping on the bandwagon and trying to pass off as “vintage”. Be aware that sizing has changed over the years, and a size 12 from 20 years ago is more like a 10 nowadays, so check measurements if buying online. If you’re rummaging in a shop, trust your fingers, feel the quality of the fabric. Hold the garment up to the light to show up any moth holes. And put everything in the freezer for a week when you get home to kill off any lurking moth eggs.

And finally, what does the future hold for Menage Modern Vintage?

I never know from one moment to the next and that’s how I like it.

Work Flow…With Jane Shepherdson CBE

Written by Amira Hashish on . Posted in Fashion, Finance, Latest, Lifestyle.

By Amira Hashish

Jane Shepherdson is a trailblazer in the fashion industry. With more than 20 years of experience as brand director of Topshop and CEO of Whistles, she has a wealth of knowledge to impart and is passionate about nurturing talent. 

Having transformed the High Street retailers into global fashion brands, she is using her experience to find a way to enjoy fashion without damaging the planet. She joined rental and resale platform MY WARDROBE HQ in 2019 as Chair and has taken it to new heights. 

Also the director of the London Fashion Fund, which champions small businesses to change the future of the industry, she is a true pioneer. We can think of no one more brilliant to kick off our series of Work Flow interviews with inspiring business leaders. Here she joins Amira Hashish in conversation…

What inspired your route into retail?

I’ve always loved fashion, but discovered early on that I didn’t have the talent to actually design clothes so I found the next best thing, which was being a buyer. That entailed working closely with a designer and putting a collection together that would both delight and sell.

Tell us about your latest projects…

Having left traditional retail behind, after realising the incredible environmental harm we were causing, I have moved into fashion rental. I am currently the Chair of MY WARDROBE HQ, a luxury fashion rental platform, which fulfills both my desire to make beautiful designer pieces available to many who could not afford them and to enjoy fashion without harming the planet quite as much.

I’m also a Director of the London Fashion Fund, an organisation that funds small fashion businesses that will change the future of the industry both socially and environmentally. It’s a real privilege to meet and work with super smart entrepreneurs who are changing our relationship with fashion and hopefully the future for all of us. We have invested in businesses who are growing cotton hydroponically using 80% less water. Now we are partnering with the big High Street retailers and even a small business making leather from microbial weaving. It’s a revelation!

What do you love most about what you do?

I really love meeting people with ideas. Especially those who have an idealism and optimism for our future. If I can help them in any small way, I get great satisfaction from that.

If you had to pick a career defining moment what would it be?

Well, this is going back a long way but when we first showed our Topshop Unique collection on the catwalk at London Fashion Week. It was a huge moment for the whole team. We felt that we had proved that Topshop was a hotbed of creativity and that we had gained huge credibility within the industry.

How do you manage your time?

I’m not brilliant at managing my time and consequently I like to get things done as soon as possible, which doesn’t always work. I feel like I am always rushing but perhaps that’s the way I work best?

Do you have any advice for those keen to follow in your footsteps?

Only do something you are passionate about. Don’t just follow the money. This is your life, you have to engage with it fully.

What’s the biggest lesson you have learned along the way?

The best thing that you can do is to surround yourself with people who are absolutely brilliant at what they do. Don’t fear their brilliance, bask in the reflected glow of it.

Who has been the most influential person in your career?

I’m not sure there has been one person who has influenced me but I have been hugely influenced and astonished by the talent and creativity of those in my team. I have learned so much from them.

How has the fashion landscape changed over the years and what does the future of the British High Street look like?

The fashion landscape has changed almost unrecognisably in the last five years. The combination of e-commerce and Covid has meant that we have all changed the way that we interface with brands and they have had to catch up. Visiting a High Street store is no longer necessary, so their presence has to offer something more than a physical representation of an online store. We expect experiences, a showcase, theatre and visual stimulation. In my opinion, we aren’t getting much of that yet, but things are changing.

Where do you go to get away from it all?

I love to travel. I took a year out and did a road trip around the West Coast of America a couple of years ago. I spent all my time hiking, canoeing and generally exploring the incredible physical landscapes the US has to offer. I’m off to Corsica for the month of June. We are driving there with our dog, Dexter. We will be stopping in Paris for a few days, Nice for a weekend, and then going back through the Alps or walking in flower-filled meadows. Contrast is everything.