The Best of 2013-Vintage Edition

For the past 2 years (check out 2011 and 2012 here) I've rounded up my favorite vintage finds of the year in a blog post. It's a fun way to reflect on my sales of the year and see how the shop has progressed. This year, I opened up a mobile boutique, launched a new website, and was a first-time vendor at the Manhattan Vintage Show so all in all, I'd say it was a pretty darn good year for La Poubelle Vintage. So how's about taking a walk down memory lane with me and checking out my greatest hits of 2013.

1. Hanae Mori Dress

It's hard to choose just 1 favorite but this Hanae Mori dress comes pretty close. I was lucky enough to acquire 3 pieces by the designer this year, one of which is still available in the shop!

2. Mink and Leather Jacket

3. Egyptian Print Skirt

Anyone who knows my vintage habits knows that I love a good Egyptian print. This one is the tops!

4. Amazing Red Silk Dress

  This one speaks for itself.

5. WWII Celluloid Pin

  Some vintage pieces I love because of the history involved. This pin dates to WWII where a pilot wore it while thinking of his gal back home.

6. 1950s Prom Dress

 

7. 1930s Kimono

 2013 will officially be known as the year that I became obsessed with the kimono.

8. 1940s Bronze Cocktail Dress

 Like wearing a dress made from liquid bronze!

9. 1970s Swimsuit

  The sexiest one piece in all the land!

10. Anne Fogarty Dress

  

 11. Hanae Mori Dress

 Another Hanae Mori stunner!

12. 1920s Lace Camisole

 A gorgeous antique lace piece.

13. 1960s Satin Cocktail Dress

   

14. 1940s Dress 

This one is all about the collar.

15. Rabbit Fur and Suede Jacket

  Another great jacket.

16. 1940s Zig Zag Dress

  I can't get enough of these zig zag details

17. 1960s Sundress

 

18. Horse Print Dress

I am alllll about this print!

19.  Red Justin Boots

20. 1970s Maxi Gown

This color combo is beyond!

21. 1960s Ruffled Dress

   

22. 1960s Pants

One snazzy pair of cigarette pants!

23. 1940s Cotton Dress

24. 1960s Floral Dress

25. 1970s Coat with Fox Collar

And as usual, many of my favorite finds this year are still available in the shop! Check out this 1970s jumpsuit,  huge amethyst necklace, 1950s sundress, and velvet Estevez dress now before they become relics of La Poubelle Vintage's past.

A Mobile Shop Update: The End Is Near

It’s been awhile since I’ve updated you guys on the progress of my mobile shop venture and I’ve got tons of details to fill you in on since April.  

First things first…the clothes! One of the most fun (and indulgent) parts of launching this new facet of my business has been getting to stock up on lots and lots of vintage to fill the trailer with. Above are some peeks at what I have in store for you Brooklynites but believe me when I say that there is much more where that came from. My bedroom is literally exploding with vintage clothes and I can’t wait to share it will all of you!

My trailer-towing machine!

Aaand here she is getting towed away after a highway breakdown!

Also…I bought a car! The trailer isn’t going to tow itself, so naturally I needed a vehicle to pull it with. I decided on a Ford Escape since they’re affordable and powerful enough for towing. I’ve had a couple of major breakdowns (and just as many anxiety attacks) since buying my wheels but all in all, my vintage sourcing has been much more effective now that I don’t have to rely on friends and Zipcar for transportation. Learning how to drive with a 10-foot monstrosity attached to my car has also been, in a word, interesting but I keep telling myself that trailer towing will be a good skill to have if this whole vintage thing doesn’t work out...right?

The trailer primed and ready!

Me getting my construction on and sanding the trailer.

And we can’t forget about…the trailer construction! Since buying the trailer, I’ve gutted the inside and replaced a lot of missing wood paneling with the very generous help of my friend Zach who has a carpentry business and has donated his time and power tools to the cause. The inside is almost ready for finishing touches like a new paint job, hanging racks, checkered flooring and the deadstock 1950s floral wallpaper that I just ordered! I’ve also primed the outside (as you can see in the above photo) and it’s all ready for its teal paint job as soon as I can get a few clear days in Brooklyn...are you listening Mother Nature? 

And you can’t leave without hearing about…my new website! I finally have a domain name to call my own and pretty soon lapoubellevintage.com will be up and running. My super talented friend Hannah Rawe did some amazing drawings for the site (that is actually being coded as we speak). Above is a sneak peek at what the home page will look like.

All in all, these past few months have been a combination of amazingly exciting/incredibly stressful/creatively stimulating/physically exhausting. Getting this thing up and running has been a TON of work with lots of unexpected twists and turns and also one of the most satisfying experiences of my career thus far being able to actually create something that I’ve been conceptualizing for so long.

Thanks for reading and sorry for the very wordy post! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more daily updates and stay tuned for the launch date (and backyard party!) of the mobile shop!

My Latest Project on Kickstarter

So I've been harassing my friends on Facebook for the past week now so its about time I shared my latest project with you! I've just launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the launch of a mobile vintage shop that I have been dreaming up for some time now. The page has a lot of the nitty gritty details but in short, I'm going to buy a 1960s or 1970s pull-behind trailer, gut and renovate it, and turn it into a little shop on wheels that I'll drive around New York and beyond! It'll be kind of like the awesome gourmet food trucks out there, just filled with hand-selected vintage clothes and accessories! Mobile retail is picking up on the West Coast but New York really doesn't have any shops on wheels, so this will be a first of its kind!

Please check out my page, and pledge if you feel so inclined. I just added a new reward tier and the first person to pledge $65, gets all the loot below including a 1970s hand-painted cotton scarf, a pair of glamorous 1960s flower earrings and a '70s suede purse with silver trim. If that doesn't strike your fancy, pledging over $50 gets you La Poubelle Vintage store credit! Plus, you'll get to watch a really cute video made by my friend Janelle Jones who is a super talented photographer/videographer.