Some time last year, I had an idea. The kind of idle thought that flutters into your head and stays there long enough to be scribbled down, forgotten about, and unearthed again several weeks later. "Why not do a whole shoot with charity shop clothing?" Even though that's the basic remit of this blog, I wondered what it would be like to do similar in a professional context - working alongside an expert team, and a rail heaving with second-hand wares. I mentioned it in passing to my then-agent Josy Spooner at Models 1 (she's now busy taking time to travel around the world, making me envious with her photos). She said it was a great idea, and suggested she did the styling. Together we cooked up further plans, scheming and assembling and gathering until, finally, one day, we drove down to the photographer Saskia Lawson's studio in a car stuffed full of the most delectable garments you ever did see. Plenty of them ended up on camera, with a whole host of charities lending us the most brilliant clothes. Lauren Alice did wonderful seventies-inspired hair and make-up, and I gallivanted around in coats, beads, layers and ruffles to my heart's content.
It was an incredibly special project to collaborate on - leaving me thrilled all over again with the creative possibilities to be found in modelling, celebrating beautiful clothes, and participating in the kind of project where you leave utterly exhausted, utterly satisfied, and utterly eager to see the images. On top of all that, there was the privilege of seeing a fledgling idea through to the finish. The final destination for the shoot was Tirade magazine. You can see the full feature here. I also wrote them a little piece in praise of all things second hand. For long-term readers it does tread more-than-familiar ground, but I thought I'd post it here too - mainly because it was very fun ground to re-visit and to think about again.
Big thanks to the EXCELLENT team of women I worked with on this, and to all the charities who gave us the chance to play around with their clothes - you'll see that they're credited in the images.
(Something of a) Love Letter to Charity Shops
I fell in love with all things second hand when I began raiding
my mum's clothes aged thirteen - stealing away her careful collection of
fifties tea-dresses and sixties coats. They were stored right at the back
of the wardrobe, and I can still recall the complete excitement of unearthing
several plastic boxes filled with satin and lace and wool. Unlike the other
stuff I owned, mostly bought on the high street, these garments were imbued
with magic: they’d had previous lives, previous stories, previous ways of being
worn. Putting them on was transformative. A long, black translucent dress with
a nipped in waist and a full skirt made me feel like a witchy ballerina, while
skeleton print Jean-Paul Gaultier jeans (found in the local charity shop for
mere pennies) were so bold, I wondered if I would ever muster the bravery to
wear them outside…
It wasn’t just about the wares I could plunder though. Alongside
the rather exciting assembly of items already owned, my mum also introduced me
to the art of sifting through charity shops, flea markets and vintage stalls in
search of new (or rather, old) prized possessions. I was hooked. I still am. Very
little thrills more than finding an original 70s suede coat for 50p at a jumble
sale, or unearthing a beautiful cocktail gown in a branch of Mind or the Red
Cross that simply must come home. To
me, it’s all about the hunt – and the unexpected possibilities. You can go
second hand shopping with an agenda, with something specific to seek out, but
often the best purchases are the ones you couldn’t have foreseen.
That’s one of the qualities I love best: the chance for
stumbling across, well, anything. The most beautiful coat ever – the kind to
wear day in and day out all winter. A gorgeous, fitted shirt. Some kind of long,
swishy skirt that will provide endless opportunity for dressing up. Maybe just
the perfect polo-neck. Who knows? Beyond that though, there are the other
advantages: the bargain prices, the sustainability points, the chance to speculate
on who owned that item previously (where did it go? What events did it see?),
the chance to consume in a different way. It’s a way that requires time and
patience, but offers up plenty of reward in return.
I must admit it’s hard to write about charity shops without
resorting to metaphors about magpies, or treasure hunting. They’re the perfect
analogies for the processes involved: searching, sifting, rummaging, gathering,
collecting, accumulating. And, just a like a treasure hunt, sometimes you’ll
unearth a massive gem, and sometimes there’ll be nothing at all. Part of the
process of shopping second hand is knowing that you may return empty-handed
too. Always worth the search though.
Perhaps I’m giving too much credit here, elevating second hand
purchases to some kind of lofty level. But they yield an awful lot of pleasure.
Why not celebrate that? For this shoot, there was so much joy to be found in
sifting through the rails, gasping at the gorgeous wares on offer – all those
decades and designs nestling side by side. All of them offered up a character
to play at. I switched from sexy to languid to outrageously fabulous, each
garment dictating the mood. When modeling, I’m used to being dressed in
whatever is deemed ‘on trend’ or ‘next season’. As fun as that is, here I got to
enjoy something much closer to the way I actually shop and enjoy getting
dressed.
I gain a huge amount of my confidence from what I wear, and some
of that confidence is certainly derived from always being open (at least
sartorially) to the unusual and the exciting. Much as I appreciate and adore
the other types of delights to be found in buying shiny, new, bang-up-to-date
things, I think that charity shops will always have my heart.
13 comments
very nice dresses
kisses
Oh my Roz, this is fantastic. Brilliant idea brilliantly executed. And you look amazing. So, so good. Love it.
I love how you took an idea and made it fly, and fly so high with the assistance of a great team. Your photos certainly do you and the clothing and justice. What on earth are that coat and dress and shoes for British Red Cross! WOW - they are a dream!
And you said it well - charity shops and thrift shopping will always have my heart.
Wow, you look amazing in these outfits! My favorite is the Trinity Hospice look with the burgundy coat! Perfection, I want the whole outfit!
This was such a great idea for a shoot too. It shows that you can look amazing in pieces that don't have labels, and if they do they have long been forgotten. Style is something that is within you, if you have it, you can wear anything.
http://www.closet-fashionista.com/
I LOVE the green Age UK dress, and the white Trinity Hospice one at the bottom. Gorgeous! Being American, I was somewhat skeptical about the whole British Charity Shop and the ability to discover these wonderful treasures. (Have you ever been to a Goodwill or St Vincent's Society in the US? You definitely won't find LK Bennett, or likely even J Crew in these warehouse shops...)
And then I went into my first store in Kensignton...and the rest is (delightful) history! There are many wonderful items to be found in the charity shops here. They don't tend to be pennies but the items are usually of good quality, unique finds, and you know the money really is going to a good cause. I never minded doing consignment in the US, but now that I live in London, I'm a huge charity shop convert!
what a brilliant idea! You look absolutely gorgeous...this photoshot is amazing...and it is a great way to promote buying at charity shops.
You look absolutely stunning. These images are wonderfully captured with smart styling to boot! Also, it's great that you're open to trying unusual and exciting clothing, I am the same way. Trinity Hospice and British Red Cross really steal the show with those great pieces.
Such stunning pictures and such GORGEOUS clothes!!! <3
You make charity shop stuff look like a million dollars!
It's been so wonderful to watch you grow up, Roz. Here you look (and sound) like a truly, lovely woman inside and out. xx
Absolutely brilliant! Your mum must have had enviable racks to sift through ... and your creative genius here breathes new life into "retired" clothing. I totally love the British Red Cross garments!
So well done!
- Jenny Xx
What a wonderful idea! I love the blue Cancer Research dress - it looks bang up to date, very like the Miu Miu shirt that's been floating around at the moment. Will definitely be stopping by my local British Heart Foundation soon this weekend. x
These photos are AMAZING!! I love the styling, the poses, the clothes - everything. You are so talented, and obviously worked with a very talented team too! x
Oh! Rosalind
Despite I am a terrible comment writer (because I forget to do it) I always come by to visit your blog. I don't miss a single post from you. And well, this one is just so delightful!
Every element in this photo shooting is wonderful: the profesional touch of the light, the perfect make-up, your timeless beauty, the outfits which are arrange so good... but also, every single piece separated from the others is a treasure.
The green outfit is extremely original, like a fairy tale. The red one so mystically Russian... I am dying of adoration. But t I am a 70's lover, therefore, I love that there is a predomination of outfits with these vibes. And the killer outfit is the colourful one made with clothes from British Red Cross.
I wish you realise more of this kind of projects, because we truly enjoy it!
Kisses!
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