Susan Stone, Berlin Fashion/Beauty Correspondent
10th April 2012 “I fell in love with vintage style through punk rock. At fourteen, I was already a long-term Anglophile (due to or despite a Scottish grandmother, I’m not sure which!) and as a kid I always loved the swing era, but my family never saved old clothes as keepsakes, so I didn’t have previous hands-on experience with the textiles and textures of years gone by. I grew up in Florida, where many people go to escape – be it winter, work or weariness – and so thrift stores and antique shops were often full of discarded treasures. Vintage offers us a chance to time-travel, and to mark ourselves as a bit different, apart from the rest – I cherish both. What we can learn from past items, be they clothing, frames or end tables, is truly compelling. Good histories and bad histories are both woven into permanence. This is very evident in Europe, especially in Berlin.
“I shop for Vintage wherever I go. I’m always on the hunt for small secondhand shops, flea markets and thrift stores. I prefer the thrill of the chase, so I’m personally not so very fond of shopping in highly curated (and usually highly priced) chi-chi vintage boutiques. I have a recent and growing love for vintage eyewear that’s started to get me into trouble. I bought my first pair of vintage frames from Fabulous Fanny’s in New York’s East Village a few years ago. I now have four pair of prescription glasses with vintage frames, from both Fabulous Fanny’s and Berlin’s wondrous Lunettes Selection shops. (www.lunettes-selection.de) As for vintage sunglasses, thanks to Lunettes and Berlin’s flea markets, I have around ten pairs at present. I like vintage at home too. I used to say that my apartment in Washington, DC (where I lived before moving to Germany), was decorated in “High Thrift Shop” style. I’m trying not to collect too many things in Berlin. It’s hard to choose just one favourite item. But since we’re talking eyewear, I’ll share one of my recent finds. At a vintage shop in Berlin I picked up a rather unusual pair of sunglasses – they are translucent salmon pink, with light grey lenses – but there’s a twist – on the side of each lens, there’s what from the front looks like a dark decorative area. But what’s clear only to the wearer is – these sections are actually tiny mirrors that allow you to see what’s going on behind you! They’re lady-spy glasses from the Cold War Era. I haven’t had the chance to wear them on the street yet, but when I do, I’ll surely be steeped in mystery.” JG
Photos: foto di matti www.fotodimatti.com
Lunettes Selection Berlin