Cool Concept: Street Ready Vintage
Julia Levitt, 20 Mar 09
Here's a term to watch: "Street Ready Vintage" is a meme coined by Brooklyn-based seamstress Maura Dilley, who I met recently on a trip to Vancouver. Dilley scours thrift stores and closet castoffs for promising pieces made of natural fibers. Then she uses her textile talents to update the looks with details like smarter hemlines, structured collars, or even just a vinegar rinse to remove the vintage musk.
The result -- at least, what I saw her wearing herself – is remade wear that's contemporary, detailed and clean enough to have been plucked fresh from the racks at any boutique.
Mending old clothes is nothing new, but there's something to be said for a slick new way of talking about it. Bringing resourceful, sustainable practices we've known for centuries up to date can sometimes be as easy as freshening up our attitude.
Photo: Lighthouse Sweatshirt by Maura Dilley
I have seen a few super cool Dilly creations. Maura has a great style and taste.
I once saw her pair an English equestrian look with a relaxed red dress...great stuff....hell she is even a hair stylus also!
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Posted by: Neil on 21 Mar 09
I also had the fortune of seeing some creation by Maura Dilley. She has a great taste. Not only that: she has a mission of making fashion sustainable, and fun!
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Posted by: marco on 21 Mar 09
So, the idea is that we take all our old clothes, attach them to something new, and then sell them as vintage?
I had this idea back in the 70s. I tried to bring back the cowboy look by adding a businessman edge, you can see a picture of it here http://www.flickr.com/photos/96743389@N00/3378693839/
I got the idea from my father who tried to bring back the caveman look during the green movement. Check him out: http://zaielphotography.net/images/jolly_green_giant.jpg
Nevertheless, it takes a real innovative genius to identify something so simple that we could all be doing and turn it into a successful business plan like this. Congrats to Ms. Dilley. I assume worldchanging forgot to add the website?
FS
Posted by: Frank Standard on 23 Mar 09
Frank,
Maura Dilley was in the process of setting up her website when I spoke with her, so as of this post, there was no url to offer -- in this piece, we were more interested in discussing new terms/ways of talking about things. I will update this post when I have news of a website.
Posted by: Julia on 23 Mar 09
Not only is Maura very stylish, she's also an intelligent femme with lots to say! One morning Maura surprised me with a cute red sweater she had altered. If I had seen it on a shelf, I never would have had the eye to consider it - but Maura made it into a gem. It's still a prized possession of mine and I always get an earful of complements when I wear it. Thanks Maura!
Posted by: Karen S on 24 Mar 09
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