i tend to believe that by the time ‘everybody’ catches on to something, it is well and truly over… you know?
as well as styling interiors, i also design, style and implement events. corporate. PR. product launches. and, yes…weddings.
hmmm. and herein lies the problem.
go back for a second to statement number one.
‘i tend to believe that by the time ‘everybody’ catches on to something, it is well and truly over.’
on the whole, i love dealing with brides. their enthusiasm is boundless…their passion second to none. I love it. really.
until they say this. “i want something really different. something no one has done before. something VINTAGE”.
ok.
then they will go on to say “i like typewriters..a want a whole table of typewriters…..and mason jars filled with flowers,. you know,.flowers that a sweet seven year-old girl with flowing flaxen locks and a white cotton dress has lovingly plucked from a field and shoved into a jam jar. and i want a field covered with bunting, bunting that flutters in the warm breeze. oh,..and I LOVE VINTAGE mismatched crockery and whimsical pink champagne glasses. and VINTAGE cameras. and vintage suitcases stuffed with apples. and a DESSERT or lolly table with a vintage tablecloth! and CUPCAKES! you know? something DIFFERENT….something vintage, vintage, VINTAGE!’.
yah. different. totally different to all the other millions of folk who also wanted something different.
and, that’s ok. i’ll totally deliver that. it’ll be dreamy, and romantic and whimsical and VINTAGE. but different? not so much.
i think all the vintage is becoming souless. people are trying so hard to add character and personality through ‘vintage’ that they are ending up doing the exact opposite. their events are looking like carbon copies of the event that was held in the same ‘vintage friendly’ venue the week before.
the same goes for interiors. has anyone watched The Block recently? it’s all replica furniture and vintage styling. mainstream. safe. dull.
so.. here’s a shout out to the world. let’s move on from vintage, folk! Let’s find something else to love, something else to be inspired by…and something else to lust after.
United we can do it! Call me..I’ll help you.
14 replies on “Vintage Schmintage”
Ha ha ha! Yes. agree. Maybe its because I could never really ‘do’ vintage. I like my stuff too organised. (Although my current living situation is far from organised. The grand plan is, however, very very ordered).
I agree to a point but it’s no different in any field. Look at interiors…who is sick of seeing chevron, trellis, cow hides, Eames chairs etc! You know it’s become very mainstream when everyone on the block had pure midcentury rooms – that used to be unusual! I remember having to tell people in my local town what those funny white plastic chairs were (Eames) and now they are in every display home.
I’m sure people have been experiencing this for years, I think it has just become more pronounced now with blogs and the Internet.
yup. absolutely agree. it just happens that the ‘vintage’ phenomenon is on my radar for today. There are many, many ‘trends’ that we may need to move on from! JF
oh this is just too funny. This spills over into my graphic design work. Client wast something unique, vintage, with buntings, and a vintage typewriter…. yep, you know it!
I can’t move away from vintage, but I’m thinking a polished industrial, or paired down midcentury. I’ve collected a few art-deco pieces for home recently. I have this overwhelming urge to redecorate with my version of deco…I ponder. Love your guest post Jane x
Damn sooo late for the party. But no one has really heard of it in my bogan area, so I might be safe for the moment! They are all still looking in amazement at their manmade lake…..
hehehe, Im a graphic designer and know EXACTLY what you mean, I couldn’t agree more with your statement that by the time somebody catches on to something its over. I design a lot of logos for women in small business, and the majority of them lately are cake decorators or event stylists, a lot of them want the same thing, it becomes quite hard to deliver what they request in the brief without it looking like everyone else’s. Birds used to be popular, then silhouettes, now its confetti and bunting – vintage style of course.
But what if i actually like typewriters and vintage cameras, and hanging ballet shoes? Do i throw these things away because everybody is using them in their interior’s? What if they make me happy and remind me of lovely things.
And neon, i have had neon shoelaces for years and now that neon is back, do i take these out and replace them with boring white? I understand what you are saying and as an interior designer for kids, i am over owls, trees, and other uninspiring wall decals, but i believe in following your heart, and my heart loves vintage, so maybe we can find something else vintage to lust over, what about vintage wooden shoes or cotton reels, have they been done yet? 🙂
Of course not! You can like whatever you like! I was just making a tongue in cheek comment about people and their ‘sheep like’ mentality. most of these folk don’t even know WHY they want vintage. Most of them would never collect these objects at home. but, because it is so on trend, they want, want, want. My flippant post highlighted the fact that *we*, the people at the head of the line, have the ability to change the trend. and I am bored with vintage. so lets do it!! JF
I love the vintage look but you’re right, it’s getting harder to be original. Your post did give me a smile though.
I went to a wedding within the last year with old doors hanging up, flowers that were in mason jars, and name cards tacked to nail on a board. So your post CRACKED me up (even though that is a vintage word).
Here, here! Love this. There’s a whole world of weddings out there. Lets move on from vintage!
This is hilarious and so true. I have long been a ‘bower-bird’ whereby I trall streets to repurpose furniture, vinnies for vintage pickling jars, have sewn my own items from vintage fabrics etc. And have seen the decline in products available and over-populated vinnies stores. Whilst this is great (for Vinnies and stores alike), I believe so many people are there just because its ‘in trend”. Its like when you talk about a particular item or colour and people say “oh did you get that from The Block” – “nooooooo!!” And all I can think of is once they’re tired of this trend, will just just discard these lovely items and move onto the next?
Yes, Jane, that’s the game these days – “I’ll have what she’s having” – no individuality! Well, it’s up to us to stir things up and buck the trend. How about vintage with a “gothic” streak?
I agree, the vintage styled wedding is overdone but never less is still pretty and will probably continue for a while yet and owning a wedding decor hire business in Melbourne, we happy to offer vintage pieces. However, I am hoping a more glamorous styled wedding is going to become popular with the release of the great gatsby film due to come out this year, a return to decadence would be nice! I am hoping crystal candelabra’s will be the desired decor instead of jam jars and burlap runners because we have a great range of real crystal that just isn’t being hired enough for my liking!