Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair: The Interview

It has finally come back- Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair has come to Nottingham!

Packed with Vintage goods, this fair should not be missed. So get yourself down to:

 Hopkinson Gallery (Formerly The Art Orginisation)

21 Station Street

Notts

NG2 3AG

Its on tomorrow (Sunday 6th Feb) so get yourself down there and grab a bargain!

We have had the privilege of interviewing the creator herself- Judy. Who has very kindly given us an insight to her fabulous vintage fair.

• You have a passion for Vintage, so where did the love begin?

''I really can’t pin point it, though my mum dressed me in hand-me-downs and charity shop clobber from when I was a toddler so something must have stuck [although my older sibling is a boy and so I don’t think the army jumpers and cords were a good look for me during the early 80s at the tender age of four!] I studied fashion at Art College and really embraced the flea market finds I would buy and alter -  I loved the rummage, and I loved to look unique.  I’ve been through quite a few different styles from the early 90s when I decided to be a punk (though only halfheartedly) into the mid-nineties when I leaned towards the 70s through to a present-day Mad Men wardrobe.'

• ·         Prior to Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair, you created the ultimate ‘Swap Shop’. Would you ever consider bringing this back? Because we have worn out our friends wardrobes too!

'There will always be a tiny, niggling part of me which believes I could modernize and re-configure the swap shop process.  I loved that business - it was born from a real passion to change the way women look at how they acquire their clothes – but it just wasn’t commercially viable.  Maybe someday in the future, when I’ve run out of vintage steam I’ll return to it – however I’ve got a myriad of other business goals to go before that occurs.'

•   Affordable Vintage came to Nottingham in 2008, but why the wait?

'At the time I was a one-woman band - it’s very difficult to create a business and grow it quickly without losing sight of why you started it.  I had to tread carefully and launch new cities without jeopardising the cities already in existence.  Nottingham was always in my eye line - by 2008, I was sure I could bring a great event to the city.'

• ·         We love the idea of being ‘In Vogue, but not out of pocket’; do you think that popularity may affect the prices?

'There is a definite correlation between popularity and prices and it’s one of the principal reasons that I set-up shop. From 2004 – 2005, I saw prices sky-rocket, leading me to create a vintage business that was affordable and grounded.  My affordable vintage fair will always remain true to its roots and will always be competitive regarding the price of stock - the only reason why some prices may fractionally rise is due to the price of petrol; with traders coming from the four corners to sell at different events,  they have to cover themselves as far as costs are concerned. That said, it’s a minimal difference and ensures we have the most eclectic selection of traders in the UK.   I will always ensure prices are never raised due to popularity – it’s just not the Judy’s way.'

• You were curator at summer’s ‘Vintage at Goodwood Festival 2010’ by invitation from the man himself, Wayne Hemmingway, designer and Red or Dead founder. It must have been brilliant working with him; are there any other designers you would like to work with?

 'Of course I would love to work with Barbara Hulanicki, founder of Biba.  Not only were her prints, designs and shops the inspiration for 60s Britain but her shop was a cool hang out for artists and rock stars like Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithful and David Bowie.  I bet she could tell a tale or two!'

• New Year. New beginnings. What have you got in store for us and fellow vintage lovers this year?

'We’ve taken on a lot of new traders, so we’ll be changing the format of our fairs to include young designers who create new fashion from vintage clothes.  We’re also adding in some more homewares and of course our new venture The Vintage Furniture Flea will begin to tour the country to deliver mid century homewares.'

We would like to say a big thanks to Judy for taking the time to answer all our questions. 

We will be heading down to the fair tomorrow to snap some of your outfits and purchases, hope to see you there!