It hasn't escaped my attention that vintage mania is alive and well in good ole KL. It seems like every other senorita I walk past these days is kitted out in something vintage – whimsical, quirky, and downright feminine.
*
But as with all trends that become mainstream, I find that most of what you see out on the street is formulaic and lacking in originality. Let's not even talk about the countless boutiques cashing in on the craze and charging the sky for mass-produced clothing! (The guilty shall remain nameless.)
But as with all trends that become mainstream, I find that most of what you see out on the street is formulaic and lacking in originality. Let's not even talk about the countless boutiques cashing in on the craze and charging the sky for mass-produced clothing! (The guilty shall remain nameless.)
*
So it came as a pleasant surprise when I was recently introduced to a gem of a blog: Vintage biri-biri (Vbb). Co-founded by the inimitable and bubbly Janyfer, Vbb is set to dominate the Malaysian vintage clothing market, by offering one-of-a-kind pieces at unbelievably affordable prices.
So it came as a pleasant surprise when I was recently introduced to a gem of a blog: Vintage biri-biri (Vbb). Co-founded by the inimitable and bubbly Janyfer, Vbb is set to dominate the Malaysian vintage clothing market, by offering one-of-a-kind pieces at unbelievably affordable prices.
*
*
**
I caught up with Janyfer recently at the latest instalment of Pick & Grab, and while feverishly digging through her wares, I couldn't resist finding out more about her label...
*
*
**
So tell me, what's the inspiration behind Vbb?
*
Women who make it a point to dress differently, who know what looks good on them. Vbb was born out of the desire to inject some variety into the way people here dress, not that they are not doing a good job already but given the options, we don't think any woman would ever want to be caught dead in the same outfit as someone else, and that is not something impossible when everyone shops at the same places providing them the same mass-manufactured lines of clothing. Where is the sense of individuality? Brings to mind the track by Groove Armada "If everybody looked the same".
Women who make it a point to dress differently, who know what looks good on them. Vbb was born out of the desire to inject some variety into the way people here dress, not that they are not doing a good job already but given the options, we don't think any woman would ever want to be caught dead in the same outfit as someone else, and that is not something impossible when everyone shops at the same places providing them the same mass-manufactured lines of clothing. Where is the sense of individuality? Brings to mind the track by Groove Armada "If everybody looked the same".
*
More and more local aspiring fashionistas are catching on to the whole thrifting trend and Vbb is simply here to make everyone's life easier by doing all the actual dirty work. Sure you'd love to go on a hunting trip for that lipstick red secretary outfit you just saw Melanie Griffith wear in Working Girl two minutes ago on telly, but when will you ever find time to do that? Now you can just try your luck on Vbb's extensive collection of 80's outfits online, in your old jammies, in the comfort of your own home.
More and more local aspiring fashionistas are catching on to the whole thrifting trend and Vbb is simply here to make everyone's life easier by doing all the actual dirty work. Sure you'd love to go on a hunting trip for that lipstick red secretary outfit you just saw Melanie Griffith wear in Working Girl two minutes ago on telly, but when will you ever find time to do that? Now you can just try your luck on Vbb's extensive collection of 80's outfits online, in your old jammies, in the comfort of your own home.
*
The need for a different type of clothing source other than the existing mass-produced ones, the ongoing trend of famous designers borrowing ideas from vintage collections and the ever-growing young generation of fashionistas who believe in creating their own look by mix-matching and layering their outfits with retro out-of-season ones, are just a few of the inspirations behind Vbb.
*
*
*
*
*
The items on Vbb run the gamut from 80's style voluminous blouses to playful 50's style dresses, not to mention retro belts, scarves, and shoes. How do you decide what goes on your blog?
Everyone has their own preference of style when it comes to clothing and accessories, and we at Vbb are no different. However, having said that, each item had been previously bought and worn with pride by someone in the past, hence bringing us to the ultimate conclusion that each item was once someone's favorite piece.
We cannot predict what each person's style of preference is, so our method of deciding what goes on the blogshop is really quite a simple one: whatever looks good on the mannequin will end up on the blog. So far, we find our shoppers who've gotten our items to be far more creative than we expected and we never thought certain styles would be such a hit.
*
**
Does Vbb restock individual designs, or can your shoppers rest easy knowing their purchases are unique one-offs?
*
Since each piece is an authentic vintage one, it is impossible for us to restock any individual designs, so yes our shoppers can be assured that the chances of someone else running around with the same exact piece are close to nil. There may be similar designs, but hardly do we ever come across two identical pieces.
*
Since each piece is an authentic vintage one, it is impossible for us to restock any individual designs, so yes our shoppers can be assured that the chances of someone else running around with the same exact piece are close to nil. There may be similar designs, but hardly do we ever come across two identical pieces.
*
*
**
Are you thinking of diversifying the range of items on your blog to include other things, like bags or accessories?
*
Definitely! We have not decided if we should continue sticking to only carrying authentic vintage bags and accessories although that seems to be the logical thing to do. Guess it all depends if we are able to continue sourcing these great vintage finds steadily long term-wise. And of course what our shoppers demand plays a big part in any decision we make at the end of the day.
*
*
*
*
**
Describe the quintessential Vbb shopper.
*
She knows what looks good on her and how to best wear the item she gets, be it a dress or a hairband. Loves being complimented on her great sense of style and enjoys being asked where she got that dress/top/skirt/bag from. In a nutshell, she is creatively economical and fashionably savvy.
*
*
*
*
**
Any major plans in store for Vbb?
*
Due to the overwhelming response from shoppers and enquiries if we have an actual boutique, we will be setting up a physical offline base whereby shoppers in the Klang Valley are able to come check out the clothes by appointment starting from the middle of next month.
*
*
No comments:
Post a Comment