"Life is a cabaret old chum, come to the cabaret..."
"Queen of the Vintage Quines"
Deep in the heart of Scotland, Queen of the Vintage Quines and vintage business owner Lisa Irving runs her successful & renowned clothing shop "Vintage Quine, which caters for a wide array of gorgeous vintage ladieswear and also has products for men too.
Originally from Aberdeen, hence the Doric language name for a woman, "Quine", Lisa has been in business in Falkland, Fife since 2017. However, the first Vintage Quine was actually her mum, who along with Lisa, ran their vintage shop "Brief Encounters" (after the famous film), in Belmont Street, Aberdeen.
Lisa previously had a career as a Drama Teacher, but returned to her vintage journey in 2017, she now makes life more interesting and happier for people who appreciate & love the apparel and accessories from a bye gone era. We caught up with Lisa for a chat, here's what she had to say..
Q) What is it about vintage/retro lifestyle or appreciation of things from yesteryear which ignites you/us - Is it a strong sense of romance, a rejection of modernity, placing value on a richer and more artistic aesthetic on things. Was more effort put into making things back in the day ?
"A mixture of all you have said ! Everything made then was crafted , there was no fast fashion , also pieces were made and built to last. Craftsmanship from sewing, to making furniture, to building houses were skilled and style was paramount. There was a sense of pride and materials although sometimes in history were thin on the ground and not available, people made do with the what they had . They had to be creative and clever . Our throw away society is the opposite with cheap mass produced things that don’t last . There is no comparison in my opinion . I also love a bit of history and always wonder who wore this before me, or who looked in this vintage mirror ? I love the back story. My philosophy (or excuse !!) in my collecting is that I am rescuing these old things and giving them another chance in life."
Q) Your had your first shop "Brief Encounter" in Aberdeen back in the late 80s, along with your mum. Was she a keen lover of all things retro/vintage ?
"My mum Elma introduced me to old things having a value yes . She would love filling the house with antique “ old fashioned then when I was growing up in the 60’s and 70’s .... but it was really her mother my Gran who would take me as a small girl to the Local Auction House Downies in Aberdeen .. she loved a bargain ! And that was a hobby that was frowned upon with many of her generation ( second hand was a sign you couldn’t afford new and looked down upon ) even though she came from a working class background! I had a great aunt that was horrified when we opened our shop Brief Encounter all those years ago ! She refused to visit but I don’t think she understood what was behind it all."
Lisa with her mum at their "Brief Encounters" shop in Aberdeen
Q) You come from a creative background, with many years experience as a Drama Teacher and also your love of performance - do you think that ties in with your love and passion of all things Vintage ?
"My experience in theatre was a creative one , and I loved staging period pieces . My 4 th year production at drama college was Billy Liar set in the early 1960’s, I had the most wonderful time collecting furniture and props to dress the set, as well as the costumes of course ! My shop is like my stage now I suppose, my old lamps the lighting , the old furniture is the set , the displays my props , the vintage music my soundtrack, the dresses the costumes, the staff my actors / stage management, the Customers the audience and me as the Director...
That creativity is now in my shop I suppose..."
Lisa (right) with her model at Brief Encounters
Q) Your recent photo shoot in Culross, Fife looked fantastic, aided with the vintage bus and the lovely ladies modelling the clothes. How was that day - I bet the residents were loving it ?!
"Culross Photo Shoot was fantastic. It was quite a quiet day and not so many tourists about, but we did get lots of attention and photos taken ! It was so generous of The National Trust for Scotland to let us in and use this location. We had two other shoots last year , the Vintage Bus Museum was the most recent and such a lot of fun ! I am blessed to have the most wonderful group of models who show off my collections so beautifully."
Photo shoot with some of the lovely ladies from The Auld Holyrood Club - photos by Motyl Photography & Dashiee
Q) What advice would you give to aspiring business owners/entrepreneurs out there ?
Advice I’d give to other entrepreneurs out there .... go cautiously and build your brand steadily . Of course you’ll make mistakes , I have made some ! But you learn quickly ! Treat the people you work with, staff, clients and customers with respect, be open and friendly and generous with your time for them . And consider them in all you do . Keep things fresh in your business with new ideas, don’t let things get tired and stagnant . Be prepared to work hard , it’s tough at the start but if you invest your time and money back into the business it will definitely pay off . Your passion for whatever you do will help drive your business . Once it stops being fun then you know it’s not working .
As Christian Dior the iconic Fashion Designer once said "whatever you do for work or play ... do it with passion “
Q) What plans do you have for 2022 - expansion - do you design your own range ?
" I have recently collaborated with a small company called Rose’s Wardrobe who are based in Scotland and design & make vintage inspired clothing for women. They designed a vintage style kimono dressing robe the Lisa Rose Robe . Taking the inspiration from an original vintage dressing robe of mine they copied and made the design to produce a small batch . Sustainable and eco-friendly. This is something I would like to expand on . Other lines for the future which is the opposite to fast fashion. I have developed my website in the past year so I’m reaching more people now and Vintage Quine is on the world wide map ! Plans for another shop well .... watch this space ! "
Photo shoot with some of the lovely ladies from The Auld Holyrood Club - photos & video by Motyl Photography