The idea to open up this shop was born 15 years ago. The lifelong passion in second hand, the philosophy in recyling and an apprenticeship in shoemaking, was the driving force to realise this dream.
pelle is a tucked away gem in William Street, Paddington, Sydney. Some say they are not happy to share the secret with too many. I say the more know about the power of recycling their own style the more awareness and choice there is for everybody.
And let's acknowledge the craftsmanship and labour that has gone into making those beautiful items. Making a shoe, for instance, requires about 100 steps. Even if not all of those steps are manual it is a labour of love worth appreciating and understanding, especially vintage shoes of superior quality, which reflect the time and age they were made.
The appreciation lies in the conservation/ tanning of the leather, a time-consuming process that is in danger of being lost in the disposable, fast-paced modern world. We live in a time where fashion is dead..
Long live bygone fashion..
As Maggie Alderson put it so eloquently in Handbag Heaven "fashion ate itself". The 90's was clearly the revival decade. The reviving went faster and faster, until a point was reached where things were revived so quickly they didn't have a chance to go out before they came back again.
Finally recycling is fashionable, being individual is being commended and it has become commercially acceptable. Vintage is being appreciated. The trend - selling vintage collections at prestigious auction houses - is a clear trend wanting to capture bygone eras.
I myself am addicted to going to those events and the proud owner of a pair of 1960's Roger Vivier cream satin pumps with a diamante clasp, bought at the banana room auction.
Monica Schnieper
© 2009 pelle