Introducing the the Vintage Mafia!

The Vintage Mafia comprises: Miss Fleur de Guerre, Me!, Miss Jeni Yesterday, Miss Gemma King, Miss Lisa Smuterella and Miss Bethan Gwenllian Garland.

We are kicking off with a sparking Sunday sale this July to thin out our wardrobes…doubtless to fill them again with something twice as delicious…and guess what. You’re invited.

The sale takes place on the 3rd of July at The Love Shake Café Lounge in Shoreditch from 4pm ‘til late.

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Sunday Sale and Social

The Love Shake Café Lounge, 5 Kingsland Road, E2 8AA

Free Entry

The Blitz Party: D-Day anniversary special

The Blitz Party is without a doubt one of London’s best themed parties. Set in 1940 with an of-the-era dress code it’s one of London’s most popular vintage and re-enactment events and it’s not hard to see why. Held either at New Inn Yard or Shoreditch Studios, decked out as a war-time shelter with sand bags, bunting, flags and 40s posters, as well as some other fantastic props, the Blitz Party feels like stepping back in time as soon as you enter the building.

As the evening develops the Blitz Party gives you more of the best 40s glamour and revelry. Swing bands and some sultry jazz capture spirit and determination, enticing people to show off some of their best swing on the dance floor, or to have a go for the first time. The bars serve cocktails and other drinks chosen for the era; from the Champaign topped ‘The Blitz’, to ‘Ginger Daises’ and whiskey-soaked ‘Screaming Hudsons’, they’re delicious, so it’s easy to have one too many.

I love the Blitz party and was lucky enough to be invited along to review their D-Day special to mark the anniversary of the D-Day landings, and was looked after by the lovely Rosie and Anna. This month’s party was really something special, with some fantastic bands, including Ta Mère, playing as well as dancers from Swing Patrol getting the party going.

The Blitz Party’s fantastic venue took over New Inn Yard and had two stages, a swing dance room, bars, film room and especially for this night a Routemaster on display and a hospital tent serving food and refreshments accessed by a temporary staircase over a wall, which somehow made it feel like entering a base. It took me a while to get a good look around all the rooms, it really was something special.

Of the vintage events I’ve attended in London the Blitz Party is also one where people put the most effort and pride into their outfits. With costumes from soldiers to land girls to high flying pilots.

People come out in imaginative costumes and their very best vintage filling the room with dresses, uniforms, hats, seamed stockings and the bright red lipstick that was so popular in the 40s.

Party-goers Hester, Alex, Mel, Sophie, Lucy and Ming, pictured above, had spent their day preparing for the Blitz Party! Taking a trip to Columbia Road to have their hair and make-up styled into victory rolls and other 40s fashions by the Powderpuff Girls who were fully booked for the day with other people getting ready, Hester said that taking a trip to the Powderpuff Girls had made the day even more special, really looking after them and making them feel glamorous.

The Blitz Party is also a good opportunity for the gentlemen to get dressed up, there’s less really good vintage out there for the boys than there is for the girls which is a shame. But out at the Blitz Party I was able to pick up a couple of recommendations from the soldiers, pilots and sailors around the room (lucky me).  Cambridge Army and Navy Stores scoring a couple of great costumes, with the really dedicated picking up extra accessories from online shop The History Bunker. Others hired uniforms from costume stores across London. Uniforms aside plenty came dressed in 40s style clothing, as engineers and even spivs.

The Blitz Party celebrates the community spirit of 1940 and the resilience and determination people had not to be beaten, to enjoy themselves and provide enjoyment for others during one of the most devastating attacks on civilians that England has experienced. I think it is this spirit that attracts so many different people to the event, which regularly sells out and draws a really lovely crowd. A great night out if you love vintage, like role play, re-enactment or just enjoy something different.

To find out when the next event is check out the website www.theblitzparty.com

Tickets are usually £20, with early bird tickets for £15

Natasha and Amanda (and their wonderful team) AKA Lipstick and Curls were the creative duo behind the vintage hair and make-up at our past event Tart. The girls have stepped it up a notch and are opening a concession in Topshop.

Specializing in hair and make‐up from the 1920’s to 1960’s they can transform you into a jazz era flapper girl, a starlet from Hollywood’s golden age, a rock n roll pin-­up or a 60’s sex kitten!

Whether you are looking for a glamorous BettyGrable updo, a subtle Veronica Lake wave, an attention seeking beehive or just a vintage make-over to compliment your current style the Lipstick & Curls girls are there to help.

Lipstick and Curls open in Topshop on the Thursday 9th June

Opening hours:

Monday to Wednesday 1pm to 7pm

Thursday to Saturday 12pm to 8pm

Sunday 12pm to 6pm.

Amber Butchart and Nisha Thirkell are first AKA the Broken Hearts are DJ extraordinaires who met working at the hub of many a vintage seeker’s shopping sprees: Beyond Retro.

Their DJing covers music from way back to the birth of swing to the crispest of modern adaptations, moving back and forth between lindyhop, balboa and shag to neo-swing and electro-swing creating what makes simultaneously a vintage collection to die for and the freshest of sets.

Amber and Nisha have created DJ sets for shows across Europe and in the US and bespoke soundtracks, play-lists and compilations for the likes of The British Film Institute, the British Fashion Council, Lulu Guinness, Magnum, and Hendricks Gin. Broken Hearts also run a fashion and style blog, have created silent movie soundtracks, recorded songs using a live tap dancer, starred in their own music video as vaudevillian magicians and design clothes for Beyond the Valley. Their circus stylings and vintage expertise makes them an effervescent, eccentric presence in the vintage community, even within this uniquely styled community; the Broken Hearts really stand out.

The latest offering from Broken Hearts is their brand new show Peppermint Candy, which launched on Jazz FM, on Thursdays from 6 – 7 pm. Amber and Nisha say “Swing is a constant source of inspiration for us – a music and dance born out of tough times, which has given rise to a rich culture very much alive today.  Our first DJ sets were at Speakeasy-style parties so we’re really excited to bring this type of music to a wider audience. There’s a thriving contemporary scene and our radio show will immerse listeners in the whole culture; music, dancing and style.”

Peppermint Candy’s motto ‘Swing is not just a Dance, it’s a way of life’ couldn’t be more perfect, as a Jazz and Swing specialist show they’re bringing new life to the genre, giving some much needed love and attention and some pepping up and branching out that’s jazzed-out bliss for lovers of swing and newcomers alike.

The show is bursting with variety, covering not only music, but the ancestry and legacies of swing stars and influences, culture, style and fashion. Their show included tracks from the greats such as Louis Prima and Jelly Role Morton and featured artists you may not have heard of but certainly will love, such as Carmen Maria Vega’s gutsy brand of swing and Nick Hollywood, one of the pioneers of electro-swing.

Peppermint Candy is supported online with a regular blog and a weekly style and fashion guide. Their finely crafted playlist displayed real knowledge of the original era and its influences right up to present hits and show a labour of love that promises a fantastic show from here on in. I’ll be listening on Thursday, and if you don’t have a radio to get Jazz FM, you can catch their show online from their page on the Jazz FM site.

I can’t praise this show enough, so you’ll have to tune in, turn up and get down.

Peppermint Candy airs on Thursdays from 6-7 pm

Jazz FM can be heard nationally on DAB and online globally at www.jazzfm.com

There is nothing to make a gal feel better than a morning of pampering followed by a pin-up shoot. Its should frankly, be on the NHS. One wet day in April, I found myself wondering how on earth I was going to go from bedraggled to bedazzling, having been invited to sample the service provided by pin-up purveyors Rockabetty Studios

As I sat sipping bubbly co-owner Lex explained to me how the family run mobile pin-up studio started.

‘Rockabetty Studios was born round the kitchen table when my mum came back from a photo-shoot where she paraded around naked in stockings and high heels, and I thought, well if mum can do THAT, then woman must be allowed to dress up as an ‘innocent’ pin up girl!

From there we took some photos of some friends, put them on the internet, and within an hour I got my first booking. And we’ve not stopped! It’s been great fun, we’ve met some amazing people along the way, I’ve got more confident in myself and meeting new people. You have to be when you just turn up to people houses for a few hours, bringing with you half a dozen bags full of stockings and 50s style props!’

Lex and and her sister Amy ( who I just discovered, writes a very, very funny blog) have been going for a year now and celebtared in style with a party last month. In a sea of newcomers these ladies stand out.

Their lovely in-house make up artist Tara tunred me from damp and dishevelled into picture perfect in no time.

And here are the results!

Packages start at £125. Perfect for a treat or a gift!

A five day treat for you Rockabilly fans out there.  The Rockabilly Rave lives up to its name with a smorgas board of vintage entertainment for your delights.  Staged in the unintentionally retro Pontins Holiday Centre in the picturesque Camber Sands, you cannot fail to have a rockin’ time with everything they have on offer:

Snooker Table Vintage Bike Display
Reserved Parking For Hot Rods and Classics
Late Night Honky Tonk Juke Joint
Summertime Cruise
Vintage & Retro Shopping Mall First
Indoor Flea Market
Rave TV
Lipstick ‘n’ Curls Salon
Robs Chop Shop
Vinyl Junkie Club
FLIPPED LID FILMS
LIVE PODCAST
+ Swimming Pool, Restaurant, Take Aways, Slot Machines, Amusements, Air Hockey & Much More…

And without further ado the main line up for the event is:
BIG SANDY & THE ORIGINAL FLYRITE TRIO (USA)
THE BELLFURIES (USA)
WAYNE ‘THE TRAIN’ HANCOCK (USA)
THE MODERN DON JUANS (USA)
MIKE BELL & THE BELLTONES (FINLAND)
LIL CAMILLE & THE RATTLETONES (SWEDEN)
AMBER FOXX (USA)
RESTLESS (UK)
CHARLIE HIGHTONE & THE ROCKITS (SPAIN)
PAT CAPOCCI (AUSTRALIA)
THE CAEZARS (UK)
THE TIN STARS Featuring LIL ESTHER (HOLLAND)
PETE ANDERSON & THE SWAMP SHAKERS (LATVIA)
MIKE PENNY & HIS MOONSHINERS (GERMANY)
IZ PROULX (CANADA)
KNOCKSVILLE (UK)
B AND THE BOPS (CROATIA)
THE INFERNOS (UK)
RUSTY PINTO (AUSTRALIA)
SMOKESTACK LIGHTNIN’ (GERMANY)
THE SKIPRATS (UK)
49 SPECIAL (PORTUGAL)
THE RHYTHM SHAKERS (USA)
WILD RECORDS SHOWCASE (USA) EXCLUSIVE SUNDAY NIGHT SHOW
BATTLE OF THE BANDS FEATURING: THE LADYKILLERS Vs THE HIGHTONE RUMBLERS

International DJ’s: Topper (USA), Go (Japan), Rudy (Belgium), Danny (Spain), Blip Blop (Germany) & Boppin Sonny (Denmark) DJ’s from the UK: Cosmic Keith, Little Carl, Mouse, The Admeister, Young Eddie, Jimmy Guntrip, Carrie Hope and Steve Spincity. Comperes: Del Villarreal (USA) & Russ (UK)

If that doesnt tempt you i dont know what will. For further information on this amazing event, click on the flyer for more info on the website.

 Wives and Sweethearts explores soldiers’ relationships from the 18th century to the present day through a deeply-moving selection of letters and photographs. Displayed alongside are sweetheart brooches, jewellery and other touching love-tokens.

 Explore the ‘Wives and Sweethearts’ online exhibition here.

 Divided into themes that address the different stages or aspects of soldiers’ love lives, the display asks why a relationship with a soldier is different from that with a civilian. Throughout history, how have those who have served in the Army combined their life with partners and families with their military duties?

 ’Courtship and Engagement’ explores the beginnings of soldiers’ partnerships. The section focusing on weddings highlights the immense contrast between wartime and peacetime marriage ceremonies, especially in the 20th century. ‘Women of the Regiment’ looks at the roles of women in the Army during the 19th century, while the images brought together under the heading of ‘Army Families’ show more modern soldiers and their families.

 The largest part of the exhibition looks at what is perhaps the hardest aspect of life with a soldier; the long periods of separation it often entails. Finally, ‘Reunion’ takes into account the fact that soldiers’ return to their loved ones, although usually joyful in the long run, can often be painful and difficult at first.

 Highlights from the exhibition, revealing individual relationships and stories in poignant detail, include:

• A gold ring in a crystal casket sent by Quartermaster Sergeant Porter to his wife after the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815, to let her know that he had survived.
• A letter from Mrs Jones to her husband Sergeant Louis Jones serving in Gibraltar in 1902, to tell him of the death of their eldest child, Teddy, aged three.
• Beautiful embroidered First World War postcards sent from the Western Front by Private H L ‘Holly’ Christmas to his sweetheart Miss Ada Manley in 1916.
• A note sent from Sergeant Anthony Baker serving in the Korean War in 1950, to his wife ‘To the only girl who ever mattered…’
• A ‘bluey’ sent to colleagues by Captain Karen Timperley while she was serving in the Gulf War in 1991, revealing that during the conflict the Army Chaplain was inundated with requests to marry serving couples.

You can catch the exhibition until July 30th in the White Space Gallery at the National Army Museum, details of which can be found here.

As a big fan of the 1950s, Rock ‘n’ Roll, and musicals, I personally am particularly excited about this Vintage Secret announcement. Coming soon to the West End is a spectacular musical, featuring music from the most exciting decade in 20th Century music history. With a song list that will have everyone tapping their feet, there’s bound to be dancing in the aisles!

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, the new West End musical that tells the electrifying story of the night in 1956 when Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis came together to make music and ended up making history, will star Ben Goddard (Jerry Lee Lewis), Derek Hagen (Johnny Cash), Francesca Jackson (Dyanne), Robert Britton Lyons (Carl Perkins) and Michael Malarkey (Elvis Presley), joining the previously announced Bill Ward (Sam Phillips).

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET features over 20 classic hits including: Blue Suede Shoes, I Walk The Line, Fever, Great Balls of Fire, Hound Dog, Folsom Prison Blues and Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.

MILLLION DOLLAR QUARTET will open at London’s Noël Coward Theatre on 28 February 2011 with previews from 8 February 2011. Tickets are now on sale here

As one of the world’s most visionary living designers, Yohji Yamamoto has made profound contributions to fashion in the 30 years since his Paris debut. A true vanguard, Yamamoto’s work has been celebrated by discerning editors and arts organisations the world over.

Given Vintage Secret’s own obsession with the avant garde icon, we’re eagerly awaiting Yamamoto’s first solo exhibition in the UK, kicking off on 12 March 2011 at the Victoria and Albert Museum London. His forward-thinking, futuristic garments will be displayed alongside Renaissance sculptures and marble staircases, the exhibition designed by long-time Yamamoto collaborator Masao Nihei. The retrospective will be the first to exhibit items from his menswear collections, in addition to mixed media—from photographs to films—reflecting the depth of Yamamoto’s prolific career.

Tickets to the exhibition are £7, with concessions available. Keep an eye on the V&A website for more information in the new year. V&A members may attend for free.

© Photograph by Ronald Stoops

Yohji Yamamoto at the Victoria and Albert Museum
When: 12 March – 10 July 2011
Where: The Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL, +44 (0)20 7942 2000
Price: £7.00, concessions available; V&A members attend for free