Originating in London, the potential for future collaborations on fashion shoots prompted a conversation with the delightful owner of both boutiques, and a party advertising free Sailor Jerry was a perfect excuse for me to browse through the shop's apparel.
From velvet textured blazors for the boys to decorative, one off evening pieces for ME, the owner and buyer has exquisite taste spanning classic and kitch designs that are relevant to affordable modern fashion. The music of the evening was provided by local bands The Arrogance of King Canute, Tsar Nicholas III and The Exiles, Frenetics and DJ Craig Christon who, punctuated with burlesque dancers, spun an array of Rock n Roll, Rockabilly, Post Punk, Jive Surf and Doo Wop.
I first passed through the shop as it shared a building with my trusted hairdressers Rebel Pin-Up, which I would also recommend to high heaven. So I woke up to an alarm which I wasn't entirely sure why I'd set, a little heavy headed, and threw on the nearest thing to me which happened to be one of the reduced price vintage treasures I had picked up the night before. Turns out I had to go and get the early morning haircut that I had tipsily booked with the Rebel staff, and actually ended up walking out of the place where the dog bit me looking a huge deal better than even when I walked in the previous evening, let alone on a usual day spent hungover.
An excellent, and arguably productive evening (if you can call shopping and haircuts productive, which I can). Truthfully for this reason, I wish that Paper Dress Vintage was a party venue on a more regular occasion.
Review & photos: Toria Brightside