Vi Nouveau: Vintage Reworked

For vintage lovers and fashion fanatics, look no further than new Edinburgh based designers, Vi Nouveau. Vi Nouveau was established in 2010 by two friends, Fiona Scott and Zoe Radcliffe, who share a love for vintage styling, fashion and design. Fresh out of fashion school these girls have an eye for vintage gems and unique treasures. So what do Vi Nouveau have to offer? They provide bespoke, tailored vintage clothing, customising as well as revamping older styles to create beautiful one-off pieces.

Vi Nouveau are firm believers in giving clothing a second chance and aim to transform worn out pieces back to their former glory, if not better! If this sounds like something that takes your fancy, get in there quick; these girls are in popular demand after their recent styling of Charlie Miller, Austin Thompson and Harley Davidson shoots, as well as keeping their online shop stocked with revamped vintage beauties. And if this isn’t enough for all you fashion-blogging lovers out there, Vi Nouveau also run an online blog keeping you up to date with their new shoots and the inside scoop on the latest designers in the world of vintage and ethical fashion. I was lucky enough to meet up with Scott and Radcliffe in order to gain some inside information on the label and the world of all things vintage.

Where did you study and what became your inspiration for the business?

Radcliffe: I started studying Fashion and Textile Design at Edinburgh’s Telford College, which secured me a place in second year to study Fashion Design at Edinburgh College Of Art. Fiona studied Politics at Edinburgh University, and as much as she enjoyed aspects of the degree and her time at University, decided that Politics wasn’t for her in the long run and instead would try to turn a love for fashion into a career of some sort. Shortly after graduating both Fiona and myself became high street store managers for a couple of years before taking the scary yet well-overdue plunge into starting our own online store in 2010.

For me it was a huge step-from being a dreamy art student; there I was, slap, bang in the midst of paper work, targets, staff training and constant meetings! It definitely made me more business orientated and I began to see fashion in a different light in terms of what a huge machine the fashion industry is - designing, buying, and selling, over and over again!

Could you tell us a bit more about Vi Nouveau and what clothes you have to offer? Also most importantly how can we get our hands on your clothes?

Vi Nouveau is an online store selling vintage clothing and accessories for men and women, specialising in revamping and customising our garments. We are a new business and still learning a lot, but so far it’s been so much fun (albeit challenging and of course very hard-work!). The customising of vintage pieces involves adding anything we feel will ‘enhance’ the style or look of the garment. It could be something as simple as sewing an over-sized bow to the back of a simple boucle mini skirt, or completely transforming the shape of a dress, which previously looked tired and frumpy.

On our buying trips we come across so many unloved or unworn clothes and we simply assess what can be done to revamp it so that it will become loved by someone again! As our name suggests, we sell a perfect mix of the vintage styles we know and love from bygone decades mixed with current styles on the catwalks and represented on the high street. Our customer doesn’t want to look like they’re going to a fancy dress party or playing a part of a 1950s housewife; they want their clothing to be a vintage gem, unique to them but also be stylish and current. We felt that through customising and overhauling and keeping in touch with current trends we could bring vintage ‘back to life’ so to speak and promote it in a way so that it's got appeal for 16-year-old school girls as well as women in their 30s and 40s.

Lastly, who are your most inspirational fashion icons/designers?

When watching fashion shows or looking though new collections I always want to see drama and show-stopping designs so for those reasons John Galliano is a fashion god to me! The same can be said about fashion lines from Comme des Garcons, Vivienne Westwood, Viktor & Rolf and of course the great and much missed Alexander McQueen. They may be obvious choices but I feel that the reason their work is so widely recognised all over the world is due to their fashion brilliance. Ann-Sofie Back’s collections inspired me when I was studying. I admire her bravery when experimenting with and manipulating fabrics and silhouettes. Equally Prada’s prints are always absolutely beautiful and MiuMiu’s collections are not to be missed!

The pieces designed by these girls are unmissable, so for summer weddings and post-exam nights-out, get yourself onto their website www.vinouveau.co.uk and you will be sure to pick up a one-of-a-kind vintage gem.