About us
London is the capital of vintage. No other city offers such a wealth of vintage shops, markets and fairs, nowhere else can you find such a thriving vintage scene from swing dancing, rockabilly club nights and make do and mend sessions to prohibition parties and chap gatherings.
Whether you’re a Londoner yourself or in the capital for a visit, regardless if you’re a mod, rocker, chap, Fifties pin-up, Forties gal, Eighties enthusiast or merely curious about all things vintage, The Vintage Guide to London will show you the best of the London vintage scene from shops to events, bars and restaurants, all arranged by era – from Victorian to the Eighties – and area so you can search for places in your part of town.
Our up-to-date ‘what’s on’ section will give you plenty of inspiration if you’re stuck for ideas what to do, and vintage-loving Londoners themselves are sharing their top tips so you can experience vintage in the city just like the locals.
Who we are:
Editor
Lena Weber – founder & Editor-in-Chief
Lena Weber is a freelance writer and editor specialising in all things vintage. She lives in North London with an ever growing collection of vintage bits and bobs including boxes full of 30s cigarette cards and 60s dinner plates. In love with all things Beatles, Lena loves a good beehive and is mildly obsessed with the Rolling Stones WAGs. She also publishes and is editor-in-chief of vintage magazine QueensOfVintage.com.
“When I moved to London over eight years ago I had no idea where to best shop for vintage or what sort of events were on. Although I now know where to hunt for real bargains, I still rely on lots of different sites and word of mouth to find the best the London vintage scene has to offer. I hope this guide serves as a one-stop spot to all things vintage in London.”
Email: lena@thevintageguidetolondon.com
Writers
Alex Mustapha – contributor
Aged 9, with her mum frustrated at the lack of afro hair products in their small Essex town, Alex was sent to a hairdresser in nearby London who gave her a magnificent beehive. Thus transformed into Dianna Ross, she discovered the beauty of old clothes and spent the summer in pint-sized mini-dresses and white boots, which didn’t always make her the most popular kid in the playground.
Alex grew up attending her grandma’s annual charity fundraising sale in the Suffolk countryside from where her and her sister would come home with a treasure trove of negligees, tea dresses, petticoats and jewelry and would play act as if they were in old black and white films. As a teenager she discovered Jazz, and notably Billie Holliday with whom she had a morbid fascination. These days Alex is more into very early rock ’n’ roll and dresses a little like a vintage-inspired drag-queen, never going anywhere without red nails, black eyeliner, a pearl necklace, and lots and lots (and lots) of hairspray.
Rebecka Mustajarvi – contributor
With an equal passion for vintage and words, Rebecka Mustajarvi studied English at Goldsmiths, and just completed an MA in Writing in the Modern Age at Queen Mary’s, London. She works for a poetry charity and is part of the editorial board of the lit magazine Nutshell.
Always keenly pondering the history and culture from the 19th century to the present, she is particularly in love with the 1910’s to the 1940’s and the cultural remnants of those times, be they clothes, knitting patterns, books, films or labels from old tins. Her constant knitting, thrifting and ‘make do and mend’-ing has earned her the accolade “the world’s youngest pensioner” from her friends.
Rebecca McWattie – contributor
Rebecca McWattie,25, has been writing short stories and plays since childhood. Having had a very Bohemian education of home-schooling, she soon developed a passion for Italian Art, English and French Literature and loves discovering forgotten scandals! Inspired by her love of 40s and 50s style clothing, Rebecca is the founder of www.stoptrafficclothing.com, an online vintage-inspired fashion boutique for women. She is also writing a book on the pitfalls of modern dating, an ongoing drama!
Anna Sbuttoni – contributor
Anna Sbuttoni is a writer from London who was brought up on a dangerous combination of car boot sales and Agatha Christie. She lives on Portobello Road, where her tiny flat is home to what her friends call the world’s most uncomfortable sofa (a beautiful chaise longue) and her even tinier wardrobe is busting with vintage finds.
Her bone china tea set is not just for special occasions, neither are her Champagne coupes nor her collection of fascinators for that matter. A patient shopper, Anna is as happy rummaging through market stalls as she is ringing the doorbell at one-off boutiques.
Events
What we’ve done so far:
- Talks on vintage styling, shopping and beauty for Charm School, September & December 2011
- Vintage Concierge Service, a personal vintage recommendation service, at London Fashion Weekend, September 2011
- Daily Festival of Britain Tours during the Vintage at Southbank Festival, July 2011
- Throwback Vintage Festival, a vintage club night with bands, burlesque, dressing-up box and more Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes, November 2010
