EXCLUSIVE Interview with Lally’s Closet owner

December 21, 2009 by Maria Kaski · 1 Comment 

We love vintage at Greenmystyle.com. It’s an eco, stylish and often wallet-friendly way to add new gems to your wardrobe. So with the launch of Lally’s closet, an online vintage retail space, scheduled for November 23rd, we talk to its owner Topsy about stocking Tom Ford and enthralling vintage neophytes. Lucie Goulet writes.
The idea for Lally’s Closet, the new vintage shop on the web, sprang from a thrill familiar to all vintage lovers: “the feeling of discovering something that is exclusively yours, knowing that not a single soul will have the same”. Not your average vintage shop, Lally’s Closet also stores new designs from emerging createurs, including remade pieces.
Hi Topsy, thank you for taking the time to chat to Greenmystyle.com. Firstly, Why did you decide to open a vintage shop?
I have loved fashion since I was very young, and I have a passion for vintage and all things unique, so the shop has been in my head for a number of years it’s only just now that I have been able to bring it to life. I have always wanted to create a platform for emerging designers, as I studied fashion design myself and I understand how difficult it is to break through in this very tough industry.
How do you choose the designers you sell?
The designers are chosen for their design skills and uniqueness, and above all else their passion for their work.
How do you source the vintage garments?
We source the vintage garments from various places worldwide, we try to have a varied collection of vintage items.
What makes Lally’s Closet stand out from the other vintage shops in London?
We are very lucky in London to have so many wonderful vintage stores, however Lally’s Closet is different because we are online therefore accessible to everyone in the UK and beyond. We also stock new collections by emerging fashion designers.
We understand that not everyone enjoys rummaging through vintage shops. People might live in areas where good vintage shops just don’t exist so we aim to bring the best vintage pieces to the comfort of your own home. We wash all of our garments where possible, and many pieces are re-worked with a modern twist so we like to think that as well as appealing to avid vintage fans we might also convert those new to vintage shopping! Our vintage garments have been pre-loved, cared for by us and then hopefully cherished by our customers.
Most of the designer collections we stock are either one-off pieces or uniquely available from Lally’s closet.
We will also be stocking Lally’s Closet own branded new items, such as gorgeous iPods and travel card holders, useful and lovely things!
Who is your target customer?
We hope that we have something that appeals to everyone! Whether that is a brand new one-off dress by one of emerging designers or perhaps it’s a re-worked dress that you couldn’t imagine life without, we aim to have wide appeal.
Did environmental concerns play any roles in your decision? Do you have any green rules?
I do believe that each and every one of us should be more concerned about the environment and our impact upon it. The fashion industry alone is quite a big culprit, from the chemicals used in production to landfill waste, but people are now becoming more aware and I think that projects such as Make Your mark in fashion and LCF’s Centre for Sustainable Fashion are having such a positive affect on the industry.
We are concerned about environmental issues at Lally’s closet, and as such we aim to use recycled paper and biodegradable packaging where possible, and obviously vintage clothing in our opinion is the most wonderful way to recycle!  But being green or ethical is not what we aim our USP to be. It’s not something we shout about because we believe that these things should be an intrinsic part of any responsible brand. So we aim to sell beautiful things, that just happen to be ethical.
What are your plans for the future of Lally’s Closet?
We’d love for Lally’s Closet to be recognised as a brand in it’s own right, to be the place to get your vintage clothes. We are planning to launch our own collection very soon, so watch this space!
It would also be amazing to help launch the career of the next Tom Ford though our Designers Closet section.

lally-closet-1We love vintage at Greenmystyle.com. It’s an eco, stylish and often wallet-friendly way to add new gems to your wardrobe. So to celebrate last month’s launch of Lally’s closet, an online vintage retail space, we’ve been talking to its owner Topsy about stocking Tom Ford and enthralling vintage neophytes. Lucie Goulet writes.

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Join us at the QueensOfVintage.com styling workshop

November 10, 2009 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment 

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Two days and counting down: join the Chanel fashmob!

July 28, 2009 by greenmystyle · Leave a Comment 

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Swansea hosts Eco and Ethical Fashion Show

March 18, 2009 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment 

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Swansea will become the unlikely eco-fashion hotspot next month as it plays host to the Eco and Ethical Fashion Show on April 3, and Enamore is taking centre stage.

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New “Vogue for vintage” daily glossy launches

January 28, 2009 by Sarah Woodhead · Leave a Comment 

Unlock your attics, throw open your trunks, and dust off your great aunt’s frock collection, QueensOfVintage.com, the first daily vintage glossy, has landed and it’s sharing a smorgasbord of vintage fashion, beauty, and interior style secrets just with you. Read more

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Would you wear this dress?

December 18, 2008 by greenmystyle · 1 Comment 

To you it looks like tatty old jumble, but to stylish folk it looks like their next favourite outfit in waiting. Just how do the cool young popsters spot what secondhand stuff is hot to trot and what’s not? Maria Kaski snapped a bevvy of Chicsters at East London’s Favela Chic in hot swap mode. Read more

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Real, chic and vintage at Swish

November 10, 2008 by greenmystyle · Leave a Comment 

You don’t have to be a stylist or a fashion student to get the hang of vintage style. Stacey Malvern tore herself away from hunting for treasure at the biggest ever Swish, at the V&A this weekend, to snap these gorgeous women doing vintage with style. Read more

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I Swished at the V&A, and survived!

November 10, 2008 by Lena Weber · 3 Comments 

The rules said ‘no scratching, spitting or biting’, but not even that could put Lena Weber, or hordes of others, off the biggest ever clothes Swishing event at the V&A yesterday. Find out if Lena got the goodies. Read more

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Expert Q&A: Judy Berger, vintage & swap guru. Oh yes!

October 24, 2008 by Lena Weber · Leave a Comment 

Ever wondered what the difference is between vintage, retro and secondhand? Wish you knew exactly which vintage pieces to look out for? In spectacularly lucky fashion, here with the answers and more is vintage guru Judy Berger, founder of The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair and the UK’s biggest swapping website Whatsmineisyours.com. Just so happens she’s a greenmystyle.com fan. Lucky that! Read more

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