Laurie Vanian is no ordinary
seamstress. Her unique background in the
London punk scene, training at two of the very best fashion institutes and
experience with stage costume and underground fashion give Laurie a certain
edge to her original and exquisite work.
Opening a new studio at Alfies Antique Market, Laurie undertakes all
requests from vintage repairs and alteration to bespoke pieces of clothing and
pattern making.
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| Laurie in her new studio at Alfies |
An enthusiastic designer from the
age of 11, Laurie trained in New York at the Fashion Institute of Technology
and completed her degree at Central St Martins in London. From there in 1977 she went on to set up a
stand on the Kings Road where Adam Ant was one of her first customers. By 1983 she had a stand at Hyper Hyper on
Kensington Church Street, a retail premises known for emerging young designers
such as Ghost, Pam Hogg, and Nigel Hall.
Laurie also spent many years making the stage costumes for her
ex-husband’s punk band The Damned and was featured in numerous publications
with celebrities such as Prince wearing her pieces.
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| An original design by Symphony of Shadows |
Now working freelance Laurie has
recently opened a studio at Alfies where she takes on a slightly different
approach to fashion design. Altering
vintage pieces, she creates items of clothing that are wearable today. With a diverse range of skills and experience
Laurie takes on a variety of projects, from altering damaged vintage items and
making them wearable again, to creating a dress pattern so that a much loved
design can be re-made. Laurie is the
perfect person to see if you have something you just can’t bear to get rid of
but no longer wear, or have seen the perfect vintage piece but it just doesn’t quite
fit. She’s the miracle cure to the
vintage shopping dilemma.
Vintage Alterations by Symphony of Shadows.
Contact
Symphony of Shadows:
Room D, First Floor at Alfies
Antique Market
13-25 Church Street, Marylebone,
London, NW8 8DT.
Tel: 07951 527 568
