Meet Stephanie King, founder of sustainable online clothing company, Painted Bird Vintage, and her latest venture, The Aviary.
How did you start your career in vintage fashion and what was the lead-up to launching the Painted Bird Vintage Boutique?
Vintage, has always been a part of who I am. It’s in my cellular DNA. From dressing up with friends as a child in my grandmother and mothers’ ball gowns to donning hand-me-downs from friends and cousins. Later, when hairdressing scouring the affordable markets and city vintage and second-hand stores was a ritual that seeded in my burgeoning style. Hunting for garments that were ‘a bit different’ – an elusive design, fabric or just a ‘je ne sais quoi’ seldom found in clothing today. I get the constant conscience struggle of navigating good vs fast fashion. The dilemma of balancing what to wear in our ‘changing years’ with the desire to curb consumption habits. Painted Bird Vintage evolved from my wish to create a supportive space for wearing vintage. Where I’m a Sustainable Personal Stylist curating exquisite, quality pieces not found anywhere else. A treasure trove of beauty and style. And, you know what? I feel like it’s been mission accomplished.
Wearing vintage is about provenance – The pieces have been created pre-fast fashion. So, they’re integrous, and the truly authentic sustainable and ethical fashion choice.
Why is wearing vintage so important to you? Have you always loved this style of dressing?
Wearing vintage is about provenance – The pieces have been created pre-fast fashion. So, they’re integrous, and the truly authentic sustainable and ethical fashion choice. For me, vintage is a fashion and dressing option minus any consumptive guilt. Clothing created with love sewn into the threads by our grandmothers, aunties, mothers, fathers, and uncles. A piece might have been crafted in anticipation of a life event or for a long-awaited triste. History lives behind each piece making them absolute treasures. Vintage is designed to flatter the wearer. The craft of a home seamstresses, tailor, or fashion designer created necklines, waists and hemlines from fabrics that crossed boundaries between luxe, frugality and function to produce fabulous results! For me there is absolutely nothing not-to-love about the process, the history, and the works of art themselves. Hands down, vintage fashion has more going for it than fast fashion.
Vintage conjures images of lush silks, delicate laces, funky patterns, and rare finds… tell us of your most memorable pieces and did you sell them or keep them?
My most memorable pieces are evocative of the memory associated with them. My favourite neutral cream wool and diamante vest with all the original bling still attached, that fits like a dream, and makes me feel a bit ‘extra’ when I wear it. It is the perfect piece to wear with my equivalent of jeans i.e., leather trousers or a beautiful skirt if I am out on a cooler evening. It was gifted to me by an Australian collector. A kindred spirit, with an ‘eye’ that entirely resonates with what I believe can be worn in a current fashion. Many of her pieces she was not ready to part with … yet. It is a feeling I can wholeheartedly empathise with.
My Quant style dress is always on summer repeat and a definite favourite of mine. It originated from Italy and the large yellow flowers remind me of hard-boiled eggs. I bought it from a vintage store about ten years ago in Silverdale. The owner inspired me and many of her customers are mine now too. She had the most fabulous collection from Europe. What a great eye! Coming from the UK, she had a superb supplier network. Just an absolutely beautiful person. It was sad to see her go, which left a gap on the North Shore for authentic quality vintage. The dress reminds me of her whenever I wear it.
One dress I wouldn’t ever be able to let go of is by Oscar De La Renta. Found when fossicking in France. For the supplier and pickers, it was just part of another bale of clothing in a vast warehouse. Visiting foreign countries and bringing a tiny bit of history back with you is wonderful and for me this is a ‘piece de resistance’. It offers memories of the store beginnings and traipsing around Europe with my husband meeting the collectors and suppliers that it took me years to find. The dress is entirely my style and colouring as though it was meant for me – so of course it ‘sparks joy’. When you are confronted with mountains of clothing – vintage, retro and preloved (enough to clothe small cities or countries) it is hard to say no to keeping (saving?) all the fabulous things and trying to wear your way through history. As a collector and maximalist, and just like everyone else when it comes to beautiful clothes sometimes it can be very difficult to just say no and abstain!
What is your favourite decade?
If you look at the styles of the eras we stock (40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and some retro 80s and 90s) lined up against each other, I love 60s and 70s the most because they spell fashion freedom from earlier constraints. The development in necklines, tailoring, waists and straight cuts, hem lengths, the testing of pattern, style, and embellishments with just how far it could all go – those eras speak volumes to me. They’re truly reflective of where our fashion in history has taken us at least within my lifetime.
How do questions of sustainability play into your business model?
I love to see and support designers around the world both emerging and existing who are re-inventing fashion with what is already in circulation. Re launching era trends and looks certainly helps with the concept of circularity. Yet we can always do more. Look at the overflowing landfills, charities, warehouses full to the gunnels of unused fabrics as well as the mountains of garments displayed in stores – we could likely clothe the world for many years before needing to produce any more new-from-new clothing. Designers need to create using their incredible imaginative skills but must balance the ‘amount’ and ‘with what’. In our business model, vintage is the creme de la creme of existing fashion and sits right up there with some luxury brands pre fast fashion. Sustainability at Painted Bird Vintage in its most raw form means – here’s the best so you can use what you have. We can ‘sustainably’ clothe ourselves for many years to come without creating even one more new piece of clothing. Just look at our stock of over 5000 vintage pieces to see incredible examples of garments made almost 70 years ago that look like the day they were made. We don’t ‘need’ more new clothes to be made with new materials. Let’s change how we use what we already have. The conversations are happening but the rate of overall worldwide adoption of this value is sadly at tortoise speed.
Tell us more about latest move, The Aviary.
Needing to pivot, adapt, and hold on tight always looking in the side view mirror to survive has been ‘de rigour’ for many SMEs over COVID. Now I’m innovating and prioritising our ‘why’ and continuing to grow it from the roots up.
The Aviary in Auckland, is the first of its kind in New Zealand. A boutique fitting room experience designed to cater for those who are easing themselves into vintage shopping online with the final security of being able to ‘try on’. We also offer a complimentary sustainable personal stylist as your host in an entirely private space. Because vintage was made to ‘fit’ your form, when you come to The Aviary, we will happily measure you as part of the service so that when you do shop with us you have a starting point for ‘smart shopping’. The bonus? When you are looking at our curation you can easily see if it will likely fit.
What are your hopes for Painted Bird Vintage & The Aviary?
The face of retail has changed from bricks and mortar, to online, pop-ups and now to a combination of all three. We live fluidity now that demands flexibility. The Aviary means, regardless of pandemics, trends, and any unforeseen challenges, we have future-proofed to always have the doors open for our customers. Offering a curation of wearable, on trend, high end vintage and retro means we are contributing with the smallest fashion footprint that we can. We offer the best vintage around, raise the bar for perceptions and misconceptions around vintage and reloved clothing and have it all totally accessible to all who wish to wear ‘good’ fashion.
Where and how do you source your clothes and accessories?
Painted Bird Vintage clothing is sourced by physical visits all over Europe, Australia, and through Private Collectors also here in New Zealand. We handpick in person to minimise the ‘footprint’ of bringing clothing into New Zealand and our accessories are no different. From a sustainability perspective, we don’t risk bringing bulk or bales of clothing to our shores that we don’t believe will be absolutely wearable in the ‘now’ and 100% saleable. We also take donations of high-end vintage to ensure it doesn’t end up in stores not equipped to value it correctly and to mitigate donation landfilling.
Any muses?
Adore the likes of the Advanced Style ladies including Iris Apfel. Fan girling Bat Gio (Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert), Alexa Chung and Jenny Walton. They all wear vintage with aplomb and set a standard for embracing designer interspersed with vintage thereby elevating both. A ‘just do it’ attitude and flair for the eclectic and eccentric means a winning look every time! I also think it is great that Zendaya’s stylist, Law Roach is promoting and reusing beautiful gowns from the last 20 years. However, there is a little issue, let’s get the categorisation right for buyers. A designer gown from 2020 should not really be called ‘vintage’. The definition of “vintage” means “of age”. According to top antique dealers, for an item to be considered vintage, it must be at least 40 years old but not older than 100 years. For example, to consider an item as vintage in 2022, it must have been made between 1982 and 1922. So, it may be noteworthy that by Painted Bird criteria – the gowns worn by the gorgeous Hadids sisters, the Jenners, Zendaya and are ‘retro’ or retrospective clothing (less than 50 years old) and not vintage. While they are beautiful and certainly look divine, there is a danger that watering down the word ‘vintage’ will be like the greenwashing that has occurred with what is and, is not, perceived to be ‘sustainable’ fashion.
I believe in validating your feelings, trusting your gut and talking yourself through looking for a way to move on. Allow yourself to be creative in your thought.
Outside of vintage – what else inspires you?
I am inspired seeing the desire here in New Zealand of so many to do ‘good’. None of us are perfect but we have to try to be better. Conversations about being earth friendly citizens powers me up and is no longer just the realm of the ‘green’ few. It is a normal and growing conversation being had by all ages about climate change and what can be done. How can we contribute. Ways to be better on earth are easier conversational chats in setting like relaxed barbeques or coffee chats and the message is gently ‘out there’. While there is so far to go yet, I feel that those conversations need to be constant and with personal action. Many people are making changes and those little ripples really do matter. We have an amazing country on this big Earth and it needs care. I love to see the changemakers and those of us trying to push this ticket for re-use and re-love. Seeing youth marching in the streets for climate change action, seeing those making a stance with ‘no-brand-new’ and the massive uptake of the vintage and second-hand markets around the world re-enthuses me with the drive to carry on working in this fashion change space.
You are always such a positive, optimistic, and cheerful lady! What is your secret about your amazing attitude? How do you deal with doubts and challenges?
I am surrounded by beautiful clothes and beautiful people how could I not be! Honestly, I most definitely do feel all the doubts and challenges that everyone else feels particularly when it comes to wearing all the hats of managing your own business and being an advocate for change. I believe in validating your feelings, trusting your gut and talking yourself through looking for a way to move on. Allow yourself to be creative in your thought. That is how I conjured up The Aviary! There are no timeframes unless you impose them on yourself. Sometimes you just have to do ‘you’ to get through. My selfcare can be removing myself from negative space, things, or people. Or, just spending quality quiet time with myself listening to music and reading or gardening. Family support is super important and helps keep me in balance. The space of mental health is another gargantuan topic as big as climate change. It is so easy to get overwhelmed. I think we need to keep life pared back as much as possible taking the small bites needed and chipping away at everything else. I can only believe that it will, in the end, make a difference. One foot in front of the other and never go backwards. Always fall forwards and you will get there in the end.
Best vintage shopping tip/s.
The absolute best and first tip you need is: know your measurements to be able to shop vintage all over the world at the touch of your fingertips with more confidence. It is no good buying anything whether online or, in a physical store if you don’t know how something will fit. How it will fit on you will of course, be the big decider about how it looks on you. And that ‘fit’ is based on the garment measurements. Not your ‘size number’ (only a number 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 etc) YOUR size via your measurements – you are beautifully unique, and a size number is only an indication!
You don’t have to look for labelled vintage. My personal view is that label hunting is not the best way to secure amazing pieces since (very often) the most meticulously crafted piece, both ethically made, and stylistically superior garment may have been made pre-labelling (late 1950s). Finding world known iconic vintage labels pre 1980s like Dior, Chanel, Halston, Pucci, Schiaparelli etc is not easy or abundant. Likely these pieces are with high end online dealers like those on 1stDibs or, an actual vintage store (just like Painted Bird Vintage) overseas where they are respected and cared for in the curation. Dealers who value our fashion history scour to the ends of the earth to find these highly collectable pieces and they sell them for what they are worth. They are never considered thrift, second-hand or pre-loved. High end vintage is another kettle of fashion entirely. I urge you to have a look and see what I mean before you go out thinking you will miraculously find a holy grail piece. If you do find or have one – hold on to it! True vintage only increases in value over time labelled or otherwise. Vintage clothing is a highly covetable collectable garment just like any other art form – like a Ming Vase, Faberge Egg, or Monet.
Lastly, be open to trying vintage that may not be what you thought you were looking for. Trying on the unusual is part of the fun! If the fabric resonates, or the cut or even, just the embellishments spin your dials, just try it. Sometimes your most treasured finds will be those things you saw on the off chance when you stopped by your favourite vintage store or browsed true vintage online. In 99% of the cases, that vintage piece you saw and fell in love with, will be the only one of its kind and that uniqueness is one of the things that will make it special, worn and loved by you. After all, true vintage was made to be worn – not just sold – one of the key differences!
Current faves?
My current favourites on repeat are anything purple and yellow – rather than a particular piece. I am a firm believer in the philosophies around dopamine dressing and my yellow and purple pieces just seem to fit my mood at the moment, reflecting the seasons change and the need to keep myself ‘in my power’ as the rushing busy time of the year truly sets in. Yellow is fantastic for happy and joyful emotions while purple can bring creativity and a soothing approach to the day. Mix the two together in an outfit and I am work ready!
Most memorable Christmas ever.
One of my most memorable Christmases was spent at my grandparents’ house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All my dad’s family were there and it was snowing. My grandma always made a gigantic turkey together with the best mashed potatoes and gravy. I recall all of us ‘under 10’s’ at the table summoned to an unusual rat-a-tat tapping at the windows and told with great excitement to look outside where we could see the elves running around (apparently they have a wee light atop of their cap) and Santa’s sleigh lights. A brighter than the others prominent red light went up and down to reinforce Rudolph’s arrival. Of course, it was the older cousins and uncles and aunties running around outside in the dark night through the snow with small torches. All I remember after that, was the absolute full body glee that my siblings, cousins and I shared that Santa was indeed real and would soon be coming down that chimney! Turkey and cranberry was gobbled and to bed we went to whisper about what might arrive the next morning. Fond, fond memories of snow and a wonderful season of sharing family togetherness.
