We feel very lucky to live in a city with such an eclectic mix of vintage stores, and cannot wait to see them all come together for our pop-up sale on Saturday. To get a little bit more familiar with each store owner, we asked each of them a few questions about vintage fashion, NXNE and what serves as their inspiration when collecting for their collections. Today we hear from the lovely ladies behind Cambric + Lawn, Pretty Freedom and Tabula Rasa.

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Brooke from Cambric + Lawn

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at NXNE?
I wouldn’t mind attending a couple of NXNE events but between you and me, what actually excites me are the Wyrd x Weird offerings and other alternative events happening around the buzz of NXNE.

What is the best thing about vintage fashion and Toronto? 
Toronto has some pretty lovely looking conceptual shops. Lucky for me it also has plenty of shops that offer antique lighting, something I have grown a minor fascination for. I’d like to merge the ideas of music, vintage lighting, wash basins, bed clothes, linens, that sort of thing, into a shop that also offers complimenting snacks.

How does music influence the way you dress / source clothing for your store?
When I watch artists that I love perform, I sometimes notice their want to be free of extraneous matter or distracting elements (such as colour or form/fit).  Because I sing, often infront of people, I am growing conscious of how clothing can transform the way I sing. It is also interesting (and frightening!) to think about how clothing can effect the audiences experience with the music.

Three vintage pieces you can’t live without?
My Papa gave me a locket that he used to wear containing a picture of my Grandmother’s twenty-something face. My Mum gave me my Papa’s swiss army knife with his moto “Live Slow” — he saw it on the back of a boat — carved into it when I graduated University. I bought myself an old wool blanket/shawl that reminds me of the CNR. It’s probably filthy, I bring it everywhere.

What particular artists or other creative types do you draw your style inspiration from?
I think I am mostly influenced by music and quick images that file themselves within my mind — certain scenes from The Spirit of the Beehive, Hanging Park’s afternoon colours, Susan Christie’s truth portal, Brompton cemetery light, Sandie Shaw’s vapid “live” television performance, a description of a corridor in a romantic horror novel, Carroll Baker in Baby Doll, Mary Shelley’s hair, Sleep No More, wondering about Lydia Lunch’s nightie. etc., etc. Like most creative people, all of these flashes in memory and experience will accumulate in some sort of physically creative way for me eventually — be it a store or song.

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Jodee and Helena from Pretty Freedom

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at NXNE?
Phedre!

What is your favourite thing about vintage fashion and Toronto?
All the awesome retailers & amazing customers we’ve met since we opened up.

How does music influence the way you dress / source clothing for your store?
Every item in our shop definitely has a soundtrack.

If you could see any performer from any era, who would it be, and what would you wear to get backstage at their concert?
“Teddy Pendergrass… what would I wear to get backstage? Nothing.” – Helena

What particular artists or other creative types do you draw your style inspiration from? 
“Joey Lawrence, Uncle Jessie & Rufio.” – Jodee

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Jenn and from Tabula Rasa

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at NXNE?
To be honest, I’m a newbie to NXNE and this is my first summer attending the festival. I looked over the list and was overwhelmed by long list of bands I didn’t know. Knowing my musical tastes, I know what I like when I hear it, and I’m open to a lot of different musical genres. So, any suggestions or tips I will gladly take.

What is your favourite thing about vintage fashion and Toronto? 
My favourite thing about vintage is what most fashionistas appreciate about vintage clothing.  It’s uniqueness and originality, the quality and construction and the hunt!  I have this thrill in scoring something that I found, that no one else will have.  And in most cases, you hold on to it longer than most things you buy at stores today.

If you could see any performer from any era, who would it be, and what would you wear to get backstage at their concert? 
Hands down I would choose Michael Jackson in his late 80′s “Bad” era.  I would essentially be wearing his exact outfit in the video. Red leather jacket, skinny black high waisted jeans, ripped t-shirt, and ringlet curls.  I would probably spruce up the jacket by bedazzling the whole thing with spikey studs, paired with red hot lips and a killer pair of stilettos to get me backstage.

If you didn’t own a vintage store what would you be doing?
I’m Korean – we own stores, its what we do. So I didn’t own a vintage clothing store I’d probably own a french macaroon store or a paint-your-own mug shop.

How do you think others perceive your store?
I have always hoped to create a store that was more than just a shop filled with product. I think people come to us to find unique and exciting items at an affordable price point. We are approachable, friendly, and here to give fashion advice. I think I’ve always aimed to be the complete opposite of that famous ‘Pretty Woman’ shopping scene.

Cambric + Lawn photos by Brooke Manning
Pretty Freedom photos by Tara Bartolini
Banner by Miriam Olszewski