A stylist who has worked on major TV and film productions has opened a vintage shop in Clayton.
Trudy Fielding brought Vintage-Beau to Little Germany eight years ago as a place for set and costume designers and collectors.
Trudy’s eye for fashion was called upon for Netflix’s Second World War movie, Six Triple Eight, starring Kerry Washington and Oprah Winfrey.
She has also worked on The Duke, drama series Ridley, as well as BBC’s Call The Midwife and Back in Time for….
After outgrowing the space, she wanted to create a vintage experience for shoppers and personal styling appointments at Drumhill House on Clayton Lane.
You can discover anything from bright berets and 1960s dresses to Victorian blouses and colourful children’s clothing.
“I’ve always done quite an eclectic mix,” Trudy told the Telegraph & Argus.
“I try to give options for people who wouldn’t normally try vintage. Some people are afraid of buying vintage as they don’t want to look like they’ve stepped out of a Beatles concert. It’s trying to give people a modern look.
“The response I’m getting from people ‘it’s so beautiful, it’s really well laid out’. It’s trying to make it as easy as possible for people to wander around.
“I wanted that boutique feel where people go, ‘Oh I didn’t expect this’.
Speaking about her passion for the past, she said: “It’s breathing life back into something.
“It gives me a real sense of pride when I sell something to somebody that’s unique to them, their shape, their style. It’s finding what works for you.
“I love what I do. I love the fact you can be unique. You’re never really going to see anybody else wearing what you’re wearing.
“When you’re buying vintage, if you don’t buy it when you see it, you’re never going to see it again. It doesn’t come around very often.”
Inspired by the name of her godchild, Trudy opened Vintage-Beau after working in sales for brands like the Nutribullet, Ted Baker and La Perla.
The fashionista went travelling for a year before opening Vintage-Beau.
“I’ve always loved vintage fashion,” she said.
“My last job was with a company who had the Nutribullet brand and I launched that into the market. It went crazy. I decided I was going to pay my mortgage off and if I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it now.
“I’d done a bit of research.
“I started off by doing small events and building it from there. Then it grew and grew.
“In lockdown I expanded, oddly, into an additional room. I outgrew that and I’ve just been looking to find somewhere that wasn’t too far and was the right size.
“It’s attracted more people locally.”
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