FA S H I O N
Art deco revival to Barnstaple’s queen of vintage, Donna Flower, about the ins and outs of 1920s fashion
Photo by Steve Nuth Photography
re:story speaks
F
rom flapper girls dancing the night away to the era’s style icon, Coco Chanel, the roaring ’20s are seeing a popular revival.
The fashion of the 1920s embodied a modern shift away from the more formal Victorian and Edwardian eras to a modern, youthful bohemian lifestyle and a taste for adventure and travel to far-flung destinations.
explore beautiful bits and pieces from bygone eras – stacks of fabrics, racks of vintage knits and ladies’ dresses ranging from Edwardian through to 1970s. There are busts donning 1920s cloche hats, original framed faded black and white photographs, soft jazz music in the background and a bottle of Chanel No 5 available for a complimentary spritz to take some of that vintage spirit with you into the real world.
‘The 1920s look was exotic and dramatic. The period was all about travel’
‘The 1920s look was exotic and dramatic,’ says Donna Flower, of Donna Flower Vintage on Gammon Walk in Barnstaple (pictured, above left, with her daughter and store manager Jasmine Diamond). ‘The period was all about travel – from long train journeys across the continent to the Far East and deep-dark Africa, to Egyptian inspiration with the discovery of Tutankhamun,’ she says. So, as well as the classic flapper look, think statement Egyptian collars and flowing oriental silks.
Donna’s store, which opened in September 2014, was her first endeavour in “bricks and mortar” after establishing a successful online vintage fabric business 15 years ago. The shop is a quiet place on the edge of the high street in which to linger and 6 re:story THE VINTAGE ISSUE
Donna Flower is just one example of the vintage craze that’s hit North Devon. This summer on June 13, Saunton Sands Hotel is holding its first ever summer ball which will be 1920s-themed in homage to its art deco heritage (page 11), and we also held a special photoshoot at re:store to show you how to get the look on a budget (page 10). To get into the swing of 1920s fashion, you can either go all-out, or channel the look with a few simple accessories, says Donna. ‘Look for dropwaisted dresses, long strings of pearls, lace head bands or put a feather in your hair. Long scarves and gloves and Mary Jane style shoes are also key to the look,’ she says. ‘Choose dramatic colours, silk, crepe and chiffon.’ www.donnaflowervintage.com
