Affordable Junk

Ex-students brings vintage fashion to Preston

Vintage fashion guru, and ex-UCLan graduate, Judy Berger has brought the Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair to the city

Published Date: 20 October 2009

Fearne Cotton and Alexa Cheung eat your hearts out.

The recession may have forced the Preston's Oxfam Vintage to revert to a regular charity shop, but a former UCLan graduate came to the rescue of second-hand fashionistas.

Judy Berger, founder of The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair, who studied fashion promotion in Preston, brought the event to 53 Degrees.

She said: "I just really enjoy looking at things from different decades and putting them together and mixing them up.

"I've wanted to come back to Preston for two years. It brings back good memories, it's great."

Hundreds of people came through the doors to rummage for bargains – from sheepskin coats to beaded head dresses, prom dresses to retro T-shirts.

Gemma Rice, 20, who studies textiles and lives on Ladywell Street, said: "I'm really interested in vintage because there's a story behind all of the clothes.

"I like charity shops because my mum took me when I was little and you can find a lot of things. Topshop sometimes but we're not all made of money."

Fashion styling student Daisy Auberson, 22, said: "I like the fact that fashion is a way of expressing yourself.

"These days, especially in this country, everyone looks really different and I think British style's very eclectic.

"I've bought three old keys to make into a necklace. In London everything's really expensive and the charity shops have all caught onto the vintage thing but here, people aren't really looking for the same things as me so I get quite a lot of good stuff."

Sameera Ali-Hilley, 18, from St Annes, who studies photography and fashion brand promotion said: "My coat is from Afflecks Palace (in Manchester) and was £45. I like the 80s, but I tend to dress from a lot of different eras.

"I do like charity shopping."

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Slow news day, but anyway...
It's very easy to put on a fashion fair, even I did my own frock exchange at uni. The only thing that boggles me is how she managed to make Vintage items affordable... where did she find those to sell? Did she steal them?