We trekked up to Leeds to meet one of our fave vintage boutiques, Alice Found Treasure, to quiz Alice on her obsession with all things vintage and to find out what we can expect to see stocked in the new season...
Who and what is Alice Found Treasure?
I'm Alice, and I began Alice Found Treasure one year ago to make my love for vintage fashion and vintage treasure hunting into a full time job. It's our 1st birthday on the 1st February! It's been such an exciting and fun year, which has gone so fast.
I started trading at vintage fairs all over the country every weekend, until I came across The Corn Exchange in Leeds and fell in love with the place. It's such a beautiful building full of wonderful boutiques, so in February last year I opened the doors to the Alice Found Treasure Vintage Boutique, around the same time as I started my ASOS Marketplace Boutique!
Tell us about your average day at AFT HQ.
The part I love most about my job is everyday is different. I work on my own so I spend pretty much every day in the shop. I love helping customers - I put so much effort into picking every single piece - so I love it when an item finds its perfect owner!
When I'm not helping customers you can find me sewing, shooting for my ASOS Marketplace Boutique, researching new trends, reading blogs, tweeting, posting on Instagram and Facebook (probably more than I should!). My favourite part of the job is going out on buying trips, I love finding gorgeous stock for the shop! It's not all glamour, though. I also have to do the boring stuff like the accounts and cleaning, too!
What have you been buying in for the new season?
I'm loving all the trends at the moment. I've been buying a lot of tartan and gingham, especially in skirts. I loved Clueless growing up so anything girly and 90s works for me. I always have lots of dresses in the shop, in all colours and patterns from different eras (50s dresses are my faves), and I love a bit of faux fur too so I stock lots of coats and collars to layer up!
What started your obsession with vintage and do you have a favourite era?
I started vintage shopping when I was at Manchester University. Manchester is amazing for vintage shopping, that's where I got the bug! I worked in fashion buying before opening AFT and I would always look to vintage fashion for inspiration. I love every decade for different reasons, but my favourite would have to be the 1950s, the clothes were so elegant and girly. I also have a soft spot for the bohemian looks of the 70s, too.
We love your shop! Tell us how you decorated the space.
I had a strong idea of what my ideal vintage shop would be, so I created a girly vintage heaven! The shop is a pastel paradise full of good quality and truly vintage clothing. I wanted to take the hard part out of vintage shopping; having to go through rails jam-packed with clothes to find the hidden gems can be a nightmare, so I handpick all of my stock to make sure everything is a treasure!
Most of the furniture in the store is reclaimed vintage, which has been given a new lease of life! I wanted to create a different kind of vintage shopping experience, a boutique experience with an affordable price tag.
Any tips for hunting down vintage treasure?
I love going to different towns and cities to find new vintage shops. My tips would be to Google vintage shops in the city you are about to visit and make a list of them all before you go. That way you don't miss any out when you're in an unfamiliar city. Leeds is amazing for vintage, as is Manchester and London. Look online for antique centres and vintage fairs near you, too!
Shop Alice's treasures in her Marketplace boutique