The pop-up concept has allowed the Vancouver duo behind Hey Jude to get their feet wet in the fashion business without going overboard.
It was on a visit to New York a few years ago that Lauren Clark and Lyndsey Chow first discovered the flash-retail trend. The simple idea, where a retailer rents a space for a short period of time, made it possible for the 20-something pair to launch their vintage clothing line, Hey Jude, four years ago.
“When we did our first one we just set up in Lauren’s apartment and invited friends and family for a one-night wine-and-cheese thing,” Chow explains. “We got such great feedback from our friends and family for that one little intimate night.”
“We sold a lot of clothes,” adds Lauren.
They have expanded from Clark’s tiny living room to a spot in the MakerLab, a 12,000-square-foot space in Mount Pleasant, last month and to being a regular fixture at Charlie and Lee, a Chinatown boutique that is a favourite of fashionable locals.
Next up for the pair is a permanent space at 1243 Kingsway, where they will open up on occasional weekends to sell some of their high-concept vintage line, which they present as a cohesive seasonal collection.
“We usually go in [each season] with kind of a plan. We have a colour theme; we have specific types of items that we want to try to find,” explains Clark, who studied fashion merchandising at Blanche Macdonald. “We are influenced by what the runways trends are for that season. We definitely want to be fashion forward vintage.”
The goal for the line is to align with emerging trends by literally pulling from the past. The idea to develop a seasonal line started when they were planning their runway shows for Vancouver’s Eco Fashion Week.
“We are both passionate about the eco-side,” Clark says. “We really like the concept of recycling and reworking.”
Wandering through Hey Jude’s pop-up showroom at MakerLab shows their design sensibilities, and the eagle eye they have for finding vintage gems that look thoroughly modern on their thrifting excursions south of the border (usually in the Pacific Northwest).
The sparse racks – unlike a lot of vintage shops where a mishmash of retro clothes are usually stuffed together – display a variety of styles assembled by colour.
One stand out is a soft, cropped wool sweater; it’s vintage, but could easily appear on the racks of any contemporary showroom. The butter-coloured sweater would look stunning with a pair of Hey Jude’s high-waisted ’90s-style black leather pants, just $90. Nestled in a collection of midnight blue hues is a stunning long silk blouse. The ladies seek out high-end fabrics because of the durability and timeless appeal. There is also the leftovers from a sparse picked-over stack of coveted vintage Calvin Klein and Levi’s “mom jeans” – slightly-loose fitting light denim with a waist that sits around the naval that are hot right now, especially paired with a cropped top.
Starting this year, Chow and Clark are expanding their concept by making their own original designs. Now that they have established their vintage line, in large part because of the pop-up concept, Clark says it will be easier to find financing and support to move forward with their next venture. Check out HeyJudeShop.com, for more information.
