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Vancouver is home to a thriving fashion industry made up of individuals committed to its growth and success. Get to know these personalities in The Inseam and discover what makes the Vancouver Fashion scene so awesome. |
Photos: courtesy James Muscles
Sara Gourlay and Stormey Rhiannon are the ladies behind FATE Vintage, a handpicked collection that uniquely expresses a style of their own. Described as “pretty grunge,” the pieces are current and wearable despite their vintage origin. Focusing on fabric and quality, creating a strategic picking process and designing reworks are just a few ways that Sara and Stormey demonstrate their careful approach. Over coffee and salted caramel donuts, we discuss the allure of vintage fashion and what we can expect from FATE in the future.
Best friends turned business partners, Sara and Stormey began FATE Vintage after having a few years of combined experience in the local fashion industry. Sara had previous stints with Dace and Gypsy Market, while Stormey worked as a jack-of-all-trades at Obakki. It comes as no surprise then, that the duo would join over a shared passion and sense of style.
“We were talking about how badly we wanted our own business and how hard it was to find the things that we like. Sara has all of this marketing and experience in vintage, and I really love the organization, the buying, sales and computer stuff,” explains Stormey.
Their venture into vintage fashion was sparked by past experiences. Sara says, “I just remember being a little tween and going to the Granville strip and going to USED. It was so cool - that was one of my first memories of vintage.”
“I was from Salt Spring Island, so it was literally the only store I had,” recalls Stormey, “I was this terrifying gothic punk who made my own clothes. I knew I wanted to be in fashion, and I would wear these horrible vintage leather dresses in high school.”
Sara goes on to discuss the allure of vintage, explaining, “I think it’s mostly because you can find such unique pieces. That’s the trouble nowadays, there are so many girls wearing what you have.”
While vintage shopping has become a favourite past time for many, the concept of curated vintage is recent and growing rapidly. When I ask the ladies about their opinion on this, Stormey insightfully suggests, “It gives girls and people that are up and coming in the fashion industry a chance to have a small business. It’s not easy, but it’s something that we’re able to do. It took awhile to get all of the resources and figure out the direction that we wanted to go in, but I think that a lot of girls are having fun with it. It’s a good learning experience.”
Stormey continues, “All the ones in Vancouver are a little bit different. When you look at Gypsy Market, you know its kind of dark and witchy. Hey Jude is very seventies. Our stuff is very trendy and wearable.”
So how do Sara and Stormey describe the aesthetic behind FATE? Sara says, “Pretty grunge. We’re focusing a lot on the reworks. We’re taking styles from the past that are now current and giving it a twist. For example, we are doing peek-a-boo styles, cut-outs, and doing some vintage-inspired kimonos.”
Reworking vintage is one of the ways that Sara and Stormey demonstrate their meticulous approach. While they are still learning to develop their technical skills, they make sure to do their research. Stormey states, “We go and look for certain things that we want to rework. We look for certain blouses, we know the weight of the fabric and have the idea of what we want. We plan it out.”
This careful planning extends onto the selection process and development of each FATE collection. Although they do their picking separately, Stormey and Sara come together and review each piece individually. Sara says, “We start by finding some main pieces and then see where there are gaps in the collection. Then we go out and look for specific pieces that we need, like different colours and fabrics.”
I ask the girls if there is any particular vintage item that they shy away from. Stormey is quick to admit that they stay away from those over-the-top items. “I think we both stay away from unwearable vintage pieces. Those $200 amazing finds, crazy sequin detailed dress from the sixties. Vintage collectors would be like ‘Oh my god,’ but neither of us are interested in that,” states Stormey.
Sara discusses her most treasured vintage find. “I found a vintage Holt Renfrew jacket from the 1960s. It was a long wool coat with this cool leather collar detail. It’s something you would see now,” says Sara.
With shopping as part of the job, I cannot help but wonder how the ladies separate their personal wants from business. “We try not to keep anything. That’s the rule,” states Stormey, “We think that if we like it that much, then other girls will like it too.”
It is no wonder then that their collection is so aptly named. It’s FATE.
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HEY JUDE POP-UP SHOP
Hey Jude is hosting a pop-up shop from March 7th - 10th. Check out our interview with Lauren and Lyndsey here.
