Fashion, fundraising and fizz parties – what’s not to like?

Vintage & Vogue was set up a few years ago by great friends, and clothes lovers, Emma and Jenny. They are a pop-up dress agency based in a private garden studio in Jordans (near Beaconsfield) in Buckinghamshire. Vintage & Vogue sell an interesting mix of gently used high end clothing and accessories at a fraction of their original cost, mixing recent fashion pieces with vintage treasure. When Wendy Moir discovered V&V at a Christmas shopping evening, it gave her the idea for a fundraiser with a difference...

The benefits of fundraising events…

For a donation of £15 each I invited lovely ladies within a reasonable commute to join me for an evening of fashion and fundraising at V&Vs private garden studio. For their donation everyone received a glass (or two!) of alcoholic or non-alcoholic fizz – pink of course – kindly provided by V&V. They then had the chance to browse through and buy pre-loved fashion, chat, and hear the case for sustainable fashion. 

After some very challenging – and isolating - times over the last 18 months everyone really enjoyed being out socialising for a couple of hours – all in a good cause.

Friends and family who couldn’t come pledged to still donate which was lovely. It has also contributed to us having raised over £1,000 for Walk the Walk so far, with around a third of that amount being a direct result of the fashion and fundraising evening. Many who were unable to attend have said they would love to go to something similar, so anticipation is already building for future fundraising events.

I organised goody bags for all the lovely ladies who joined me on the night – pink of course! As well as some edible and non-edible goodies, I was able to include information on Walk the Walk and V&V.

Sustainable fashion

We were very lucky with the July weather and were treated to two warm summer evenings. This meant we were able to stand outside for much of the evening and enjoy the beautiful garden surrounding the V&V studio.

Part of the evening included a really interesting talk by Emma and Jenny on sustainable fashion. Amongst other facts, we learnt that 300,000 tonnes of clothes worth £12.5 billion end up in landfill every year in the UK – and there is £30 billion worth of clothing currently hanging in British wardrobes that has been unworn for a year or more! 

As well as purchasing items, you can also take gently used clothing and accessories to V&V to sell. It’s a great way to earn or raise some money and it’s a really happy thought that someone else is going to enjoy something that you no longer want or use.

Muddy Stilettos awards winners

At the parties there was much excitement as Emma and Jenny had heard that they’d been put through as finalists in the local Bucks and Oxon Muddy Stilettos awards. We were delighted to hear a week later that V&V had won the category for best women’s fashion store. What lovely news to celebrate after our fabulous fashion evenings!

Muddy Stilettos has become the ultimate ‘urban guide to the countryside’ – a witty, super-useful insider’s guide to the very best food, walks, boutiques, day trips, hotels, interiors and events for smart, fun-loving women living outside London.

Thames Path Challenge

And finally my husband Damian and I are pleased to report that we actually completed the Thames Path Challenge for Walk the Walk (100k) on Saturday 11/Sunday 12 September. You can read more about it here.

Vintage and Vogue

@vintageandvogueuk. Facebook.com/vintageandvogueuk