As I pushed open the door to Manchester city centre’s newest vintage shop, I was greeted by the dulcet tones of Fleetwood Mac and that familiar smell of pre-loved clothing and independently made candles.
Entrepreneur Fern Deacon greeted me wearing a vintage Biba leopard print coat and black fedora as she invited me into her store, Stare Society, which takes a step 50 years back in time to the 1970s.
It’s almost set up like someone’s living room, with an antique rug on the floor, an original fireplace, an outrageous leopard print chaise longue and tassel lampshades, with a wicker dining table for two. The only departure from the scene atmosphere of a much loved home is the rails and rails of clothes outlining the perimeter.
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The 24-year-old opened the Chinatown store, located on the corner of Portland Street and Nicholas Street, back in December 2022, taking over a former mobile phone shop and totally transforming the space.
She’s since filled it with a collection of vintage and antique finds that previously filled the Depop-seller’s flat, in the hopes of finding them all new, loving homes.
Fern, an actress originally from Hampshire, started selling on the second-hand app around five years ago when her personal vintage collection had grown a little too large. And, off the back of its success, she began to source retro and vintage finds to flip for a profit on the selling site.
But it was during the pandemic that Fern really saw her business boom. “That’s when I started to take it a bit more seriously,” she said. “I started doing photoshoots in my parents' back garden, sourcing different items online and selling them on the app.
“After lockdown I was a bit stuck as to what to do next. I knew I really wanted to get a space because I was storing everything in my flat and it got quite full.
“Then we found here and it was an old phone shop - it was quite different to how it looks now. But I love that part of transforming a space and I was quite excited because it felt like a project.”
Brought up on a musical diet of Fleetwood Mac and glam rock, Fern loves all things 70s, drawing inspiration from music videos and the trends from that era.
She added: “I have always been obsessed with old things and giving them new life. I just like all the history of it, and it just fascinates me who's worn it before. I just kind of make up a character in my head for who might have worn it before.
“With all the stuff in the environment now it's kind of good to consume less new stuff and try to recycle fashion more. At Stare Society we have a mix of authentic vintage and some new pieces so we can incorporate a mix.”
Having a physical store where Fern can meet her customers and watch a fashion love story unfold before her has been really special, in comparison to just selling online.
“It feels quite lonely when you're just doing it for yourself and you're not seeing who's buying it. I think online it's harder to judge who's buying your stuff so it's been really fun to meet people and see what they fall in love with.
“The first thing I actually sold in here I had kept it upstairs at home and I didn't wear it. It was an old tapestry jacket in pristine condition and I loved it but just didn’t wear it. I put it in here and then the first person that came in got it and it was so nice because I feel like I've protected it for ages.”
But some things are harder to let go of than others, and there are some pieces in Fern’s personal vintage collection that she can't say goodbye to.
She added: “I've got a special jacket that I keep upstairs as a collectors piece. It just feels really special. It’s a tailored brown jacket with gold embroidery all the way around. And it's just one of those pieces that I don't think I'll ever find another piece like it.”
At Stare Society, Fern stocks a lot of Italian leather, Western styles and cowboy boots, as well as handpicked, curated finds she’s picked up during her travels. Her granddad even gave her one of his original 70s jackets to sell in the shop.
But there are still some items she’s desperately hunting down, seeking the thrill of the find.
“I'm desperately looking for a 70s TV - that's my next find, but haven't found anyone with one yet. I'd love to find some white genuine 70s egg chairs and a matching TV, but if I can find some genuine 70s Go-Go boots, I would be made up but they are so hard to find.
“I’m pretty good at letting things go out of my personal collection. If something's really unique that fits me, I'll definitely keep it, but most of the time, I'm pretty good. I want other people to enjoy it. I just like the feeling of finding something cool and then giving it someone who's going to appreciate it.”
With the cost of living crisis, many other fashion lovers may be looking at their overcrowded wardrobes and considering hopping onto one of the selling apps like Depop or Vinted. And Fern has shared some of her top tips for raking in the sales.
“You definitely have to take into account Depop commissions and postage costs and add that to your price, especially with leather," she said. "It's so heavy, and posting something like that can eat a lot into making any money.
“I would also say to make the pictures really attractive. Style the item with something so people can get a vision of what they could put it with.
“It’s also really important to list things that are wrong with the item, especially if it is vintage. A lot of people understand that vintage isn't perfect, but if you can sort of show the best bits and the bad bits, then people will trust you as a seller and that makes a huge difference.”
Stare Society is open in Chinatown from Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm. The retail space is even hosting 70s themed art nights some evenings, which are advertised on Fern’s Instagram account. The next one is a ‘paint your groovy pot’ night where you can take your own drinks and paint yourself a planter.
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