Gillian Horsup: 'The items I buy have to be distinctive'

Gillian Horsup in her stand 

Gillian Horsup has been buying and selling vintage jewellery and accessories in London and the UK for 35 years. Before moving to Alfies Antique Market this summer: she previously shared a stand with Lola of Unicorn in the Mews at Grays Antiques.  Gillian, Lola and the rest of The Vintage Modes collective are now based on the Second Floor of  Alfies Antiques Market.

We asked her about how she first started in the vintage world...

A view at Gillian's stand 

Gillian please tell us how did you start trading in vintage pieces?

I have been trading for 35 years. I started in the vintage world by collecting myself. I lived in the East end of London and used to go to jumble sales as there were lots around my area. I slowly got interested in all sorts of antiques and in particular Art Deco pieces, mostly jewellery. I had a young family and I've done various jobs- I worked in teaching and as a secretary. At the same time I started doing fairs. I don’t know how I did it. But I did it. I’ve been everywhere. I’ve done Covent Garden Market, Greenwich Market, and I had a shop for years in Camden Passage. When that closed down I moved to Grays Mews and was then trading with Unicorn from Bond street.

Could you tell us what has changed in the vintage world throughout this time?

There aren't as many Antique Events on any more and the number of markets is shrinking. Alfies is great because it is a dedicated space. I’ve done various things but in the end I decided I wanted to be indoors. My family changed  and I didn’t want to carry things anymore-I still end up carrying. What has changed all those years is different shopping patterns but most startlingly is the venues. It’s difficult to find Art Deco events in the London area anymore because the venues are so expensive. People want variety and here we have a bit of everything-  glasses, compacts, ring boxes, fans, pins, hats, bags, jewellery from pearls to early plastic.

We are very intrigued to know how do you choose your stock?

I buy anything that catches my eye, and anything I like. We have such a variety of customers that I can’t restrict myself to a specific era or style. I used to specialise in Art Deco, but it doesn’t pay to be a specialist anymore. I look for items with good style and of good quality- I don’t like boring.

What do you consider boring?

I consider boring anything that I see lots of or that I do not notice at all. The items I buy have to be distinctive in their specific field and a little different. They have to stand out. They have to say hello to me.

Would you like to choose a piece for us that you're particularly fond of and tell us something about it?

My favourite items at the moment are Czech glass jewellery. I love items that people have taken care in the making of. You are dealing with objects created by skilled workers and skilled designers.



Interviewed 21st August 2018 by Titika Malkogeorgou

We've photographed some of our favourite distinctive items now available in Gillian's shop...

Vintage green and gilt chains earrings

Gold Tone Diamante Snake Brooch

Lea Stein Half Colerette Brooch 

Gillian Horsup at Vintage Modes | Second Floor, S057/58 | gillian@horsup.globalnet.co.uk | 02074998121| www.gillianhorsup.com | Instagram @gillianhorsup | @gillianhorsupvintagejewellery 

Linda Bee: I love quality but I am not a classicist

Linda Bee has been trading with Bennie Gray’s businesses for most of her life. She has been part of Alfies, Barrett street market, Grays Antiques, and now she is back in Alfies and has joined forces with the Vintage Modes ladies.

Linda Bee in her stand

I asked her about her early days in the vintage trade.

I was very shy as a child and when I changed my school from Soho to Victoria my new teachers said that I should go to Art School. I wanted to but I did not want to leave my friends. I was creative and I wanted to do creative things, but mostly get involved with fashion. I wanted to go into hairdressing or design. Instead I ended up working in an office. However, soon I was running a hat shop. That experience changed my life. It was the seventies. I moved to Chiltern street. There were all sorts of interesting shops there and the Chiltern Fire House was still a working fire station.

I was working for Diane Logan and my life changed overnight. Diane Logan was the sister-in-law of Andrew Logan, the artist. Through them I met fascinating people and glamorous personalities of the London art scene, Andrew Logan the artist, Pauline Stone the model, Fenella Fieldings the actress, Derek Jarman the film director, Divine the actor. At the time Diane (Logan) would love going to jumble sales and bring back things into the shop to sell. It was all sorts of extraordinary objects.

In my break I used to go to Barrett Street, near Oxford Street, which was a market owned by Alfies' founder Bennie Gray. It was very similar to Alfies, but there were also stalls outside on the street which people could rent very cheaply. Then I could sell my findings from the market in the hat shop. I was desperate to become a dealer of vintage fashion and I had this boyfriend who said to me "Bee you can be anything you want to be!". He really encouraged me to explore my passion for fashion, so I rented a unit in Alfies as soon as it opened, he built it for me. I was there the very first day Alfies opened. I was located near the entrance, on the ground floor. But I was inexperienced and didn’t really like it. A friend of mine offered to buy the stall and I moved my new business to Barrett street. I carried on trading there until Bennie sold the market and all we moved to Grays Antiques. 

I don’t have any difficulty choosing stock. It’s more a matter of having the resources to expand my collection the way I like it. When I was little and my father wanted to take me out to the park, I always wanted to go and look at the shops on Bond Street. When I read Collette this phrase impressed me: "The shop windows of Paris are my changing museums, and although I love museums, I find that shops reflect life more. They inspire me".

My collection is multifaceted. If you are artistic you can’t be limited. I am inspired by all artistic expressions in art and design. I love interiors and dressing people. I would describe my collection as eclectic and very theatrical. I like quality and haute couture, Chanel, Schiaparelli, Dior. But I especially like anything that catches my eye, which could be inexpensive 1950s but with great design. My customers are themselves people of the theatre, other dealers, Americans, Europeans, people who appreciate glamour. I am just not a classicist!    

We had a browse around Linda's shop and spotted lots of covetable objects, see below...

Linda Bee at Vintage Modes | Second Floor, S048/49 | 07956 276 384 | lindabeeretro@gmail.com

Written by Titika Malkogeorgou

Royal Ascot: Racegoers, Very Proper and Properly English

We have put Royal Ascot on our calendars to welcome summer and a high season of sport and social events that epitomise elegance; and not only. The days at Royal Ascot are full of activity and entertainment with the finest things of life and in glorious weather (we hope)! With over a three hundred year old history, change and consistency are battling each other. In the process they are reinventing the game and the experience.

For the early 18th century racegoers the entertainment included ballad singers, gaming tents, jugglers and much more besides. A ceremonial guard in velvet uniforms, the Greencoats, was established in 1744.  As the event becomes more popular, the dress code is more formalised representing different aesthetics to those that originate it. The strict dress code is a more recent practice. It actually dates back to the 19th century rejecting ornate fashion and establishing the man’s tailored suit and necktie. This is not an edgy affair.

It is the most prestigious and spectacular week of racing with guests attending formally dressed – men in morning suits and top hats, and ladies in day dresses – and the Queen arriving with family Members along the track in horse-drawn landaus to mark the opening of the day’s events. All the names of the week’s races have a Royal theme. Jockeys are instructed to wear the colours of their horse’s owners, with colours unique to the owner of each horse.

Associated with the Royal British family the race courts came into existence in the early eighteenth century, founded by Queen Anne. The first race, ‘Her Majesty’s Plate’, with a purse of 100 guineas was held in August 1711. Subsequent Acts of Parliament in the nineteen century cemented the event by establishing the Ascot Authority to manage the racecourse. The world’s finest racehorses compete in more than £7 million prize money. There are three enclosures for guests, with the Royal Enclosure being the most prestigious one.

The race courts were redeveloped in the 1960s. A massive redevelopment followed, and was completed in 2006. It drew criticism for benefiting hospitality at the expense of viewing. But the event kept growing in significance and numbers. In Royal Ascot everything changes, so that everything can stay the same.

Royal Ascot's synonymousness with sartorial elegance is a delight to observe. The event is underway (until 23 June), bringing with it another flamboyant display of hats. See our pick of the most attention-grabbing hats at Alfies, from statement-making to delicate headpieces....

Tuille hat, available from June Victor at Vintage Modes

1960s brown straw floral hat, available from June Victor at Vintage Modes

1960s Chiffon hat, available from June Victor at Vintage Modes

Edna Wall 1960s hat, available from June Victor at Vintage Modes

1970s Jean Muir turban, available from June Victor at Vintage Modes

1950s floral straw hat, available from June Victor at Vintage Modes

Vintage white yellow and blue hat, available from June Victor at Vintage Modes

Written by Titika Malkogeorgou

Last chance: ABBA | Super Troupers

ABBA: Super Troupers at Southbank Centre (until 29 April), charts the rise and legacy of the iconic Swedish pop group, whose upbeat music offered much needed escape and optimism during the strikes and financial turmoil of 1970s Britain.

The exhibition, narrated by Jarvis Cocker, takes a close look at some of ABBA’s original costumes, personal photographs and sketches, handwritten notes, album artworks and musical instruments.

ABBA were well known for their garish stage outfits, however they were not just influenced by the sequined needs of being a dancing queen; it recently came to light that the design of their clothes was also a form of tax evasion.

According to a new book by Björn Ulvaeus, "the band's style was influenced in part by laws that allowed the cost of outfits to be deducted against tax - so long as the costumes were so outrageous they could not possibly be worn on the street."

ABBA: Bright colours, prints and metallics

ABBA: Sequins

ABBA: Black glam

At Alfies we discovered lots of eye-catching pieces that would not look out of place on Agnetha & Anni-Frid at an ABBA concert...

Metallic silver platforms, available from Tin Tin Collectables

Silver crochest dress, available from Tin Tin Collectables

Celia Birtwell for Ossie Clark blouse, available from Tin Tin Collectables

Star and Moon vintage clip-on earrings, available from Gloria Sinclair

Jean Muir metallic gold jacket, paired with a gold crochet camisole, available from June Victor

1970s designer red dress, available from June Victor

Sequin Moschino blazer, available from June Victor

Embellished corset, available from June Victor

Abba: Super Troupers at the Southbank Centre, London SE1, will until 29 April 2018.

LFW Kicks Off: London Fashion Week A/W18

For all you FROW wannabees, today's the day you've been waiting for! London Fashion Week AW18 kicks off officially today. This season, London's young and emerging designers are holding the torch for the event, while some of the bigger names - such as Armani and Tommy Hilfiger - are forgoing their usual shows. On the emerging designer line-up are AV Robertson, Dilara Findikoglu and Richard Quinn.

Here at Alfies, we're here to show you how you can go green and wear vintage and still channel the latest styles. Here's the lowdown on the key trends of the week, and some fabulous pieces from Alfies:

Embellished Clutch Bags

Antique beaded evening bag with pearl snap closure Available from Connie Speight

Bakelite clutch bag with inlaid shell butterfly feature. Available from Sheila Cameron 

Sequin bow clutch, c1980s. Available from Gloria Sinclair

Ultraviolet

Austrian wool jacket, c1960s. Available from June Victor

Silver gild and enameled leaf shaped necklace. Available from Gareth Brooks

Bold Colour & Print

A selection of 1940s glazed pottery star sign brooches, made in Valleuris and signed Sisca. Available from Tony Durante

Haori meisen silk kimono, Japan, c1930s. Available from Barbara Rich Textiles

1950s French Tapestry Le Reveille Matin by Marc Saint Saens. Available from The Moderns

From the rest..

Don't forget to visit Tin Tin Collectables and Dream Retro, for their fantastic collections of vintage fashion, costume and accessories.

1980s gold coloured large clip-on earrings. Available from Dream Retro

Tassled Shawl. Available from Tin Tin Collectables

Fabulous Festive Fashion

Party season is well underway! Not sure what to wear? Make an entrance at the next Christmas soirée with these party outfit ideas and accessories. Whether you're more about subtle shine or dazzling diamanté, these vintage pieces will certainly turn heads...

Fashion staple: A classic black dress with a statement necklace is a surefire hit!
Vintage black dress, offered by June Victor; Statement necklace c1980s, offered by Gloria Sinclair

c1980s sequin bow clutch, offered by Gloria Sinclair

1980s Chanel clip on earrings, offered by Gloria Sinclair

1930s silver tone necklace with diamanté, offered by Gloria Sinclair

1960s faceted beaded evening bag, offered by June Victor

Rainbow glass crystal c1950s necklace, offered by June Victor

Diamanté tie, c1970s,  offered by June Victor

Cocktail party chic: Throw on this sequin jacket to add some sparkle to your outfit, c1960s, offered by Dream Retro

Perfect for a Christmas lunch: We love metallics for a touch of glamour! 1980s blouse, offered by June Victor  

Perfect for after-work drinks: A sparkly knit adds a hint of festive fun to an outfit.
Silver knit c1970s, offered by Dream Retro