VQ Goes Digital
Over the last year we have all seen how different life has become for all of us. We have had to adapt and overcome things we never could have imagined! When Covid-19 hit, and the country went into lockdown my shop underwent a big change. Being closed for months and not knowing when visitors would be able to roam the village and pop into my little vintage world again was nail-biting. I had an online shop, but it didn’t have nearly half of what was in my shop (there was a lot of stock to keep track of!). I was also fairly active through Instagram and Facebook but usually didn’t have a lot of time to keep it updated, and navigating the website was hard for me to get to grips with as I am what you might call a “technophobe”!
I realised if I wanted to keep my business afloat during the pandemic, I would have to adapt and try and get to grips with social media. Both to promote my business to people who maybe could have found me whilst visiting Falkland, and also make sure my loyal customers whom I had established over the years didn’t forget about me! With the help of some of my Quines who took over the Vintage Quine website, then eventually Anya and Marcie coming on board I was much more involved in social media and learning more and more. Now the two of them make up the VQ Marketing team and I am so delighted these two Quines are in charge of what you see on this website and across our social media, they are an integral part of the Vintage Quine team!
Marcie is my youngest daughter and has always had a creative, artistic flair. Even before opening my shop, I would ask her to help me design posters, tickets and programs for my youth theatre shows when I was a drama teacher! She has an eye for perfection, is skilled at finding her way around technology and is creative and talented when it comes to designing, from VQ’s social media posts to clothing tags and business cards for the shop. She also has a fabulous flair for dressing up vintage style and giving us some great photo shoots, you’ll see her pop up from time to time on our website and social media!
Getting to know you! What are some facts about yourself?
- I am staying in Jacksonville, Florida at the moment with my fiancé, and like many of us over the pandemic have been working remotely for the last few months on all things digital for VQ! I am starting study in October to do a course with the Open University on Language & Arts with hopes to go on and do a degree in English Literature & Creative Writing. A lot of my interests have something creative to do with them - like cooking and baking, sewing and crafting or creating digital media for the Vintage Quine social media pages! Every faucet of my life has an element of creativity and using my imagination, it’s what feeds me and keeps me engaged with what I enjoy doing.
2. When did you first discover Vintage Quine?
- Vintage Quine has probably been in my life since birth! From raiding my mums vintage clothing collection as a 9 year old and performing fashion shows in 1970s skyscraper platform heels and fur coats, to standing in her first shop in Newburgh posing in dresses and outfits for her social media posts it’s been a big part of my life.
3. What is your favourite brand that VQ stocks?
- I love the House of Foxy and Pretty Retro brands, their separates are so great to mix and match and incorporate into a modern wardrobe. I do have lots of Seamstress of Bloomsbury dresses too!
4. What skills have you learned or developed since working with VQ?
- I’ve recently learned how to use Photoshop and have been experimenting with different techniques and watching a lot of tutorials online to find out more. Making collages and using different images to layer and add patterns which really make the photo pop! It’s been great to work with Anya who has such great ideas while we are brainstorming a plan for the week – coming up with fresh and unique ideas is often the hardest part! It’s pushed me to think outside the box more and look at social media in more depth, leading me to be creative with it even further.
5. Which era is your favourite and what fashion from then is your favourite?
- I’ve always loved the glam 1950s and big swing dresses with layers of petticoats, Grease was my favourite movie growing up and I loved the hairstyles and red lipstick. I also love the 1930s and 1940s style pieces from The House of Foxy and The Seamstress of Bloomsbury, like their bias-cut dresses and pussy bow blouses etc. I find I can wear these pieces every day and even throw on a pair of trainers and a wee jacket with a dress to jazz it up! My go-to vintage hairstyle is 1940s victory rolls and a pincurl set – I wish I could be bothered to do it every day but it does take so much effort and hours in front of the mirror!
6. What’s your favourite thing you’ve gotten from VQ for yourself?
- I got gifted a pair of Kiri + Belle pearl hoop earrings from my mum for my birthday this year and I’ve worn them more than anything else! I love the classic look and how they go with everything. I also have the Tartan Fit & Flare dress from Banned Apparel that I’ve worn a couple of times out in Florida and always turn heads! (For a lot of reasons I think!).
7. Which page on Instagram is your favourite to follow?
- There are so many Instagram pages that Vintage Quine follows and that follow and support us back! Debi from @ms1940smccall makes gorgeous vintage pieces herself from 1940s patterns. She has also worn a lot of pieces from VQ and works with an incredibly talented photographer Darjya Bilyk in Edinburgh to get gorgeous shots in the outdoors and some fabulous Scottish landmarks. I sometimes wonder how massive her wardrobe must be as she is constantly churning out more vintage style outfits! The House of Foxy and Pretty Retro Clothing have a wonderful Instagram feed, and I love that they also post pictures of the original patterns and retro photographs of designs that the garments are based on and inspired by.
Having always had my hand in with Vintage Quine in some way or another, it feels wonderful to be able to bring my skills to social media and the VQ website now at such a crucial point for the shop! I may be far away at the moment, but I feel more involved than ever - although I do wish I could be there to enjoy the shop in all its glory! I love bringing my creativity to the team, and getting feedback from my mum and Lisa in a professional sense is so great for building my confidence in something I enjoy!
Anya, I got to know through being a long-time customer and is passionate about all things vintage. She also has a perfectionist streak and a flair for creativity. She looks after the True Vintage section on the website with exceptional attention to detail. She takes an item, photographs it beautifully then researches it and finds out its history - sometimes even past owners! She will leave no stone unturned. I call her our Miss Marple! She also turns her hand at vintage modelling for us too, usually one of the first in the door to try on new arrivals.
1. Getting to know you! What are some facts about yourself?
- I made Scotland my home 24 years ago and have never looked back. Until lockdown number 1 I worked as a project manager for an international Youth Welfare Organisation, supporting German youths and young adults, who were living over here. I love organising things and talking to people. I also really love antique and vintage items and finding out about their history and the stories these treasures could tell. We have been restoring a Victorian house. I dress in original vintage or reproduction vintage clothing every day. I like to mix these up a little. In my spare time I love meeting up with my friends, do yoga, scour Vintage and charity shops for treasures, go hiking or challenge myself by learning to sew pretty clothing by using original sewing pattern from the 1940s.
2. When did you first discover Vintage Quine?
- I first discovered Vintage Quine when I came to Falkland during the filming of Outlander season 1. I was standing at the side of “the set” and was drawn to the pretty shop window. I entered through the doors and stepped back in time.
3. What is your favourite brand that VQ stocks?
- It’s impossible just to pick one favourite brand that VQ stocks. I love that VQ is like a mini Vintage Department Store. Stocking original vintage treasure alongside brands like The House of Foxy, Seamstress of Bloomsbury, soon Emmy Design Sweden, Pretty Retro and much more. You can get every from a vintage handkerchief, to gift cards, teacups, shoes and woolly berets. I also love the recent addition of the “Vintage Sewing Corner”, which stocks original CC41 fabric, sewing patterns, buttons, trims and notions.
4. What skills have you learned or developed since working with VQ?
- I love researching original vintage items and get really excited when I spot a label or get to figure out how old something is by the way it was constructed, and which materials were used to make it. Quite often you hear Lisa and myself shouting “OMG!!” when we spot a CC41 or dinner plate label.
Since joining the “Marketing Quines” team I have earned the title “Miss Marple”. I have learned quite a bit about vintage and antique jewellery and vintage underpinnings, as well as the history about various companies, some which sadly don’t exist anymore. I often use a magnifying glass or my iPhone to zoom in on small markings and stamps and then use an iPhone app to enhance them. These really help with dating an item. It is so satisfying when you can put a story together for each item. At the end of the day, they were lovingly stored for all these years. They have had adventures and they deserve to be connected to the right person, who appreciates their quality and history.
I have also learned how to make and edit videos. There is a “media” section on the website of some of them if you would like to have a look. I love making little collages of “looks” for social media and really enjoy getting creative with how I photograph new vintage items that are being added to the website.
5. Which era is your favourite and what fashion from then is your favourite?
- The 1940s is my favourite era for fashion by far. I love how feminine everything looks. The glamour of evening wear, but also everyday items like swing pants, A-line skirts, shirt dresses, tap pants, seamed stockings, blouses with billowing bishop sleeves or a little puff shoulder. Also, the knit wear is adorable, cable knit and fairisle knit cropped cardigans and sweaters or a knitted wool pencil skirt. Things were made to last, and the quality and materials used outstanding.
6. What’s your favourite thing you’ve gotten from VQ for yourself?
- I love all my VQ purchases, and I would struggle to choose just one, so here are my top picks for some of my favourite VQ brands…
As far as my True Vintage purchases, a 1940s velvet hat and a little floral tin from the sewing corner, that I keep my sewing pins in. I also know that as soon as Emmy Design is in this autumn I will be stocking up on more knitwear.
7. Which page on Instagram is your favourite to follow?
- I love Instagram and have connected and made friends with a number of vintage loving souls from all over the world. To my delight I have also found a great group of vintage enthusiasts closer to home. Check out VQ’s story highlights “Vintage Clubs” where you can find out more details about the Auld Holyrood Club (Edinburgh based) and Glasgow Vintage Club. I also like to follow all my favourite repro brands and vintage sellers.
I love being part of the team of “Quines”. Lisa’s passion for vintage and her generosity and kindness are infectious. She has an eye for “setting the stage”, for design and connecting to people in her own special way. Stepping into the shop really is like stepping back in time. Even the changing room is like a little glam 1950s dressing room! Lisa also has an eye for sourcing great treasures and new unusual stock, and all of her Quines including herself are certain to make you feel most welcome.