Rosy Is My Relative

I’ve just read an article in the July issue of Marie Claire about older models being cast in catwalk shows which has inspired me to talk about my dearest relationship with fashion- that of the Vintage genre.

Personally I feel a very strong affiliation with The Past, and in particular, the 1920’s, and not just in terms of fashion but also with architecture, music, dance and the like, as I know that these are synonymous with fashion.

The Marie Claire article reminded me of my dear friend who is a Silver Siren on the fashion front. She is the owner of Reminiscene, an enchanting vintage clothing store in 7^th Street Melville, Joburg.

And so begins my journey through the world of the Past. It has a sublime sense of escapism. And I travel through it with Rosemary.

I have spent a few afternoons in the back garden with Rosy, sipping on Champaign and listening to her intriguing stories of her life, gazing at our companions literally hanging around us, feeling very comforted.

The clothes that dress the store have their stories too.  They have traveled and have adorned perhaps more than one companion. I feel this great sense of history and an overwhelming sense of content sadness. I feel that now that I have gotten to know the story teller of Reminiscene, I see why she has the passion for what she does, it’s as if she surrounds herself with these stories which have traveled, like her, a journey of complexities and simplicities alike.

Their past is exactly that, and it is what makes them.

What is it about fashion and the past? “Silver Sirens” of the Catwalk? There is a great respect demanded and earned. These faces and fabrics have lived, and more than that, have survived, a changing world, and very erratic industry.  And unlike “Ten Years Younger” they have embraced their age and come out on top.

Your history forms a prominent part of your identity.

It is, without doubt, the fabric of you.