Fashion Features
Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves...
Scotland is full of wonderful people, but it also attracts wonderful people too, who start up wonderful and colourful businesses. Dundalk sisters Aisling & Aine are no exception. Its as though they gathered all their travelling and exploring experience over the years, converted it all into colours and fabric then crammed it all into a joyous array in their Edinburgh clothing retail shop. A wee rainbow in the Capital.
The girls filled us in on how they ended up in Scotland from Ireland and how they started up their own vintage clothing business.
Q) From Ireland to Scotland, what made you both come over to sunny Scotland and start a business - were you at Uni here/what's your backgrounds?
"We both came to Edinburgh for the first time exactly ten years ago on a visit with friends. Aisling loved it so much here that she decided to relocate straight after university. We both did the same university degree (Media & Communication studies in Dublin City University). Aine followed to Edinburgh eight years later to pursue our shared dream of opening a vintage shop together. We have traveled a lot together over the years from Canada to the States and Europe and our favourite activity was always hunting down the best thrift shops in each city. We both are fashion obsessed and have backgrounds in retail so opening our own shop was something we felt we had to do and we thought Edinburgh was the perfect city! We love it here."
We are from Dundalk in Co. Louth. It's a great town and we miss it so much! We both studied and worked in Dublin too which is just an hour away from us."
Q) What's it like working with a family member/Sibling ?
"We love working together and both bring different ideas and experiences to the business. It is good to work with a sibling as you can speak your mind and be completely open and honest. We get on really well so it's just like working with your best friend."
Q) Every vintage/retro lifestyle lover has their own idea of what Vintage/Retro is - why did you choose the 80s & 90s era style of clothing to sell - Do you also sell other era's clothing ?
"We chose these eras as they are cool and nostalgic to us, also the 80's were notoriously colourful and we wanted a shop jam-packed with colourful and printed clothes. Having grown up in the nineties it's a little bit of both of us."
Q) Your Instagram/Website/ clothing ranges are very vivid & colourful - do you ever think of creating our own range of clothing ?
"Thank you! The more colourful and patterned, the better! We handpick all our clothes so it feels like a carefully curated collection as everything is chosen by us. For now designing the clothing is not on the cards, but we are definitely at our happiest when we are rummaging through large piles of vintage garments trying to source the best pieces for our customers."
The boss, Lily with the girls
6) What music do you love from the 80s/90s ?
"Our music taste is quite varied but we do love the nineties grunge music scene from Nirvana and Hole to Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins. Our dad raised us listening to Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac & Led Zeppelin. Our music taste is eclectic, like our style of clothes."
Q) Do you think more younger people are into Vintage/Retro life these days ?
"I think younger people are happy to turn their back a little bit more on fast fashion and shopping second-hand is a more sustainable choice. With apps like Depop and Vinted, they are helping with the circular fashion movement which is great to see! Pre-loved fashion is definitely on the rise for multiple reasons. It is more cost friendly and you are more likely to find a unique and better quality item. Win."
Q) The past two years has been tough on physical businesses, how did you cope, manage then and now - do you sell direct now too ?
"It has definitely been a tough start to our business as we only opened our little blue doors for the first time in November 2019. We adapted quickly by starting our website and selling online, luckily the support was and continues to be incredible. We are delighted to be back selling in store however as we love styling and meeting new people.
We really missed the banter with customers and tourists while working remotely so we are over the moon to be back in action doing what we love! Our street, Candlemaker Row, is full of lovely independent shops and our neighbours are the best! We definitely encourage folk to come see us in store and see what the street has to offer too."
