THE INSEAM VOL. 24: GYPSY MARKET VINTAGE

POSTED February 1, 2012 BY Valerie Tiu

Vancouver is home to a thriving fashion industry made up of individuals committed to its growth and success. Get to know these personalities in The Inseam and discover what makes the Vancouver Fashion scene so awesome.

Photo: courtesy Sarah La Greca

Gypsy Market is not typical vintage offering. In fact, the collection is reminiscent of current high fashion looks,consisting of modern silhouettes, quality fabrics and unique details. When shopping vintage often poses as an overwhelming pursuit, Gypsy Market presents a unique and cohesive line of carefully edited looks.

I chat with owner Sarah La Greca and her partner in crime, Sara Gourlay, to discuss Gypsy Market, the science of vintage shopping and what’s next.

Valerie Tiu: Can you tell us a bit about your concept for Gypsy Market? How did you come up with this idea?

Sarah La Greca: Gypsy Market is a curated vintage collection. I handpick and put together collections of modern, wearable, more high fashion vintage pieces, rather than your typical “vintage-y” type looks. It’s not retro. My signature collection consists of black pieces.

The concept behind the pop-up shop at One of a Few – that’s our vintage brand and we sell our collections there. I also do a big sale with 25 other vendors four times a year at Biltmore Cabaret. It’s more of a bazaar and flea market.

VT: Your merchandise is carefully edited and curated. How do you go about doing that and where do you go to find such items?

SLG: You have to find a lot of different sources. You’re always looking, treasure hunting. I have a high standard that needs to be reached, and it has to be very specific stuff – clothing that is in trend or innovative fashion.

VT: I like that your collection is very specific. I love that about Gypsy Market.

SLG: In the past year, we’ve had five different collections at One of a Few. I replenish similar looks, but for spring we have new collections coming out. It consists of a lot of prints, trousers, bright coloured stockings (that’s what you would ideally style with it). We’re going to do more menswear [inspired looks], so lots of tailored button-ups, blazers, stripes, floral, and then of course, we do our animal print stuff and our black collection. I’m also throwing in lots of solid bright colours too – so there’s lots of cool stuff going on.

VT: Can you talk a little bit about your past with fashion? What was one of your first fashion memories with vintage?

SLG: I worked as a fashion stylist, I have a fashion design background, and I have been a vintage picker for 14 years. My mom was an antique collector, so she dragged me around to all these different places all the time, teaching me about vintage clothing and antiques. I’ve been taught for a long time on how to do it, and I’ve been doing it strongly for the past five years.

When I was in junior high, I used to wear all vintage clothing. I dressed like I was in the Seventies. I grew up in Saskatchewan, and people were not into vintage clothing, so I got teased pretty badly. So that’s kind of a horrifying memory. But now I’ve stuck with it and it’s awesome!

VT: What’s your most treasured vintage find?

SLG: I have a beautiful black fur vest that I love so much. I do have one that’s a sheer full-length dress, and it’s oversized in a caramel colour. It was in our Spring 2012 runway show at Eco Fashion Week. That was one of my strongest pieces.

VT: You said that when you were younger, wearing vintage was uncool. Why do you think that vintage has become such a huge movement in recent years?

SLG: I think because it’s exclusive and one of a kind. Also, it’s good for the environment and we’re recycling clothes. In comparison to mass produced clothing, I feel that the difference in quality is just huge.

VT: What is your biggest challenge when you’re on the hunt for vintage clothing?

SLG: The biggest challenge is finding quality goods. You have to look hard and you have to have an eye. You have to be able to find the gems through all of the junk, and that can be challenging. I have it down to a science with the way that I shop. I don’t get overwhelmed and lose focus. I just have to be efficient with my time.

VT: You hold a seasonal collaborative sale with select vendors. How do you go about choosing these vendors?

SLG: A lot of my vendors are the ones that I have built a relationship with from 2008, when I started the market. It’s just grown. I give lots of different, new vendors a chance, and everyone seems to have pretty good stuff. So I have my main people that do it, and that leaves room for new people to come in.

VT: What can we expect from Gypsy Market in the near future?

SLG: We have a fashion show with One of a Few coming up.

SG: Maybe adding on to vintage at One of a Few, designing a few key pieces. Another thing that we are focusing on is documenting. Because the pieces are one of a kind, when somebody buys it, it’s gone. We want to make sure we document it, to remember the piece.

SLG: We’re going to design a Gypsy Market ready-to-wear collection.

VT: That’s very exciting. Will it be vintage inspired?

SLG: Perhaps. I do get inspiration from my vintage pieces, but it’s definitely going to be modern.

VT: Do you plan on expanding outside of Vancouver?

SLG: Yes, Gypsy Market LA, New York and Toronto. That’s our goal for the future. I’m working on opening an online store. We are getting our social media nailed down and expanding in the web world and internationally.

Check out the Gypsy Market Vintage Spring 2012 preview on March 8^th at Two of a Few.